Minnesota raises new state flag, replaces old flag with one to 'reflect all Minnesotans'

Minnesota raised its new state flag over its capitol on Saturday.

The flag was unfurled on the state's "Statehood Day" holiday and features a stylized outline of the state, an eight-pointed star and a field of light blue.

The unveiling is the culmination of a competition to redesign the flag and state seal to replace one that showed native peoples being driven off their land. The final design for the flag was modified from a submission by Andrew Prekker.

"The new flag and seal reflect all Minnesotans and showcase the features of our state that we can all recognize – the water, the land, the North Star, and of course - the loon," Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon said in a press release. "We can all unite around these common images that help our state stand apart from the rest."

The retired flag was delivered to the Minnesota State Historical Society to be preserved.

Loons to Labs: submissions that didn't make the cut

The Minnesota State Emblems Redesign Commission announced that it received over 2,000 submissions for its call for ideas to change the state's flag in November.

The entries ranged from the traditional to the absurd. Here are some of the entries that didn't make the cut:

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Minnesota unfurls new state flag, see unused submissions