Minnesota

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The flag of the state of Minnesota consists of a medium blue field charged with the state seal. The current flag was adopted in 1957 and the state seal on the flag was modified in 1983.

On the seal, the sun, visible on the western horizon, signifies summer in the northern hemisphere. The horizon's visibility signifies the flat plains covering much of Minnesota. The American Indian on horseback is riding towards the south and represents the American Indian heritage of Minnesota. The Indian's horse and spear and the Pioneer's ax, rifle, and plow represent tools that were used for hunting and labor. The stump symbolizes the importance of the lumber industry in Minnesota's history. The Mississippi River and St. Anthony Falls are depicted to note the importance of these resources in transportation and industry. The cultivated ground and the plow symbolize the importance of agriculture in Minnesota. Beyond the falls three pine trees represent the state tree and the three pine regions of Minnesota; the St. Croix, Mississippi, and Lake Superior.

Criticism and calls for redesign[]

The Minnesota flag has been widely criticized for decades. Flag experts have detracted the flag's design for being unmemorable, indistinguishable from afar, and similar to many state flags. On numerous occasions over a span of several decades, bills have been introduced in the Minnesota Legislature to establish a legislative task force for studying changes to the flag.

The North Star Flag[]

The North Star Flag design was created in 1989 by Lee Herold and Reverend William Becker. Herold presented the proposal to state legislators in 1989, supported by Republican representative Gil Gutknecht.

2023 redesign commission[]

On March 22, 2022, two Democratic members of the Minnesota House of Representatives, Mike Freiberg and Peter Fischer, introduced a bill to redesign the state's flag and seal. Fischer began supporting a flag redesign in 2017 after a group of high school students raised the issue to him. The law outlines specific guidelines for the redesign, stipulating that the new designs "must accurately and respectfully reflect Minnesota's shared history, resources, and diverse cultural communities," and that symbols representing only a single community or person are prohibited.