Minnesota trades 'Ragged Old Flag' for new one: Here's what you need to know
The new Minnesota flag will officially be flown for the first time Saturday.
Statehood Day, May 11, will be the first day the newly designed flag will take to the sky above the Capitol Building and Mall. The current design used since 1983 will be retired.
The new flag replaces an emblem long described as outdated and received criticism for its negative depiction of Native Americans. The new design's dark blue color represents the shape of the state, and the light blue represents the over 10,000 lakes that Minnesota is known for. The white star represents the "North Star" motto.
Here's what you need to know about the new design.
How was the new design chosen?
The new flag was adopted in December by the State Emblem Redesign Commission. After more than 2,500 entries were submitted by the public, the commission spent months whittling down options and eventually tweaking some top designs.
The designer, Luverne artist Andrew Prekker said in a statement that he hopes the new flag brings the state together.
"It's such a rare privilege to be able to contribute to our state’s history in such a special way like this," the 24-year-old said in a statement. "It’s an achievement that I hope brings a lot of unity and pride to our land, and I will hold that fact with great honor for the rest of my life."
The commission was created by the state legislature in 2023.
More: Minnesota has a new state flag: See the design crafted by a resident
Why did Minnesota need a new flag?
Many activists, and lawmakers have raised concerns over the years about the current flag's depictions of Native Americans.
The flag's design portrays a Native American person on a horse riding away as a white settler farms the land, with rifle close by.
The flag has been updated and revised numerous times since the early 1960s, although has maintained its depiction of Native Americans since its creation in 1893.
What do Minnesotans think?
The St. Cloud Times asked our readers for their reactions on the flag. We received more than 100 responses, ranging from excitement and pride to disappointment and apathy.
Some responses were in favor of the inclusivity of the flag and the symbolism of the colors and shapes. Others wished there were more literal depictions of Minnesota icons, like designs of the state bird, a loon, or a walleye.
Joe, a 37-year-old St. Cloud resident said the new flag sets itself apart from other states.
"Our old flag was one of over a dozen that were hard to tell apart," he wrote in the form.
Many older respondents expressed a desire to keep the original flag, saying that replacing it amounted to "erasing history." Others said changing it symbolized Minnesota's progressiveness and mending relationships with marginalized communities.
"Dated references to the Indian Wars of the 19th century are also something we can move forward from," Joe said.
Not all of the thousands of submissions to the flag commission were serious contenders. Some fan favorites included a loon with laser eyes, another with a mosquito, and one was just a photo of someone's dog. Find the full list of submissions at https://serc.mnhs.org/flags.
Though a number of respondents to the Times form questioned why the public wasn't able to give their input in the voting process, some, like Jesse from Minneapolis, said in the form that the new flag is "worthy of our great state."
"As soon as it was available for purchase, I got a physical flag and proudly started flying it outside of my house!" said the 43-year-old.
— Sam Woodward is the Minnesota elections reporting fellow for USA Today. You can reach her at swoodward@gannett.com, on X @woodyreports, or on Threads @samjowoody
This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: Minnesota's new flag to fly this week
