It’s happening again. Another state, Minnesota, is adopting a new flag design. It was just 10 months ago, after 18 months of debating and $500,000, that Utah adopted their new flag, which I really like because it uses simple graphics to tell the Utah story.
I’m thinking Minnesotan’s must have been watching and learning from the Utahan’s. Minnesota accepted new flag designs (over 2,000) and debated those new designs for just four months and $35,000 before settling on a their new state flag, which will be made official in May of ‘24.
Minnesota, often called the “north star state,” simplified their flag. The new design includes only three symbols: a dark blue shape on the left that vaguely resembles the shape of Minnesota; a white, eight-pointed North Star; and on the right, a lighter shade of blue, which symbolizes Minnesota’s abundance of water and its other nickname, the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
The Seal
Like Utahan’s, Minnesotan’s wanted to replace the seal on their flag with simple, meaningful graphics. At one time, it was accepted practice to put a detailed seal on one’s flag; about ½ of all state flags have hard-to-read emblems. It’s kind of the lazy man’s way of making a flag. In theory, it may sound good; but seals don’t translate well on a flag because the details can’t be viewed from afar, atop a flagpole.
But the problem for Minnesota didn’t stop with the flag. The origin of their state seal dates to the founding of Minnesota in 1858, and the official explanation of the seal (CYA) from the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State says of their seal: “the American Indian on horseback represents the great American Indian heritage of the state, while the horse, spear, axe, rifle, and plow represent important tools that were used for hunting and labor.”
Though a nice sentiment, many residents looked past the official description and took notice of the seals details. At first glance, it looks more like a white settler is celebrating victory over the indigenous natives. Considering the time, they probably were.
To Minnesotan’s credit, they didn’t prolong what could have been extensive, expensive, and messy changes. Along with the quick revamping of their flag was the adoption of a new state seal that celebrates the state’s bird, tree, waters, and sky.
Expect to See More
Ever since I can remember, all the way back to 1975 when I started Arkansas Flag and Banner, we flag dealers have been trying to educate the public on what makes a well-designed flag. Because of the power of the internet, we are finally getting the word out.
Now that we know what we know, I expect to see more flag redesigns in the coming future. Stay tuned. I’ll keep you updated.
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