Seal of Minnesota

Official government emblem of the U.S. state of Minnesota

Great Seal of the State of Minnesota

Versions

Historical coat of arms (illustrated, 1876)

Armiger| State of Minnesota
Adopted| May 10, 1983[1]
Motto| L'Étoile du Nord
(English: The Star of the North)

The Great Seal of the State of Minnesota is the state seal of the U.S. state of Minnesota. Originally adopted in 1858 following Minnesota's statehood, the seal's original version is an adaptation of Minnesota's territorial seal modified by the state's first governor and fur trader, Henry Hastings Sibley. It has been modified several times by the state legislature since 1858, including in 1971 and 1983.[2] The seal's design symbolizes many important aspects to Minnesota's history and culture; such as the growth of industry powered by Saint Anthony Falls, the state's Native American heritage, the importance of industries like lumber and agriculture, and the taming of the wilderness by the state's early pioneers. The seal is prominently featured on the Minnesotan flag.

In the past decades,[when?] the seal and the flag have drawn criticism, particularly from Indigenous groups, for its depiction of the relations between White settlers and Native Americans. In response to these concerns, in May 2023, the Minnesota Legislature created the State Emblems Redesign Commission to change both the seal and the state flag.[3] On December 5, it unanimously chose a design by Ross Bruggink that features a loon, Minnesota's state bird, and the North Star, and is themed around Minnesota's nature.[4] The new seal will replace the current one on Statehood Day (May 11) in 2024.

## Origins[edit]

The need for a seal came when Minnesota became a territory in 1849 and it was necessary to stamp official documents with something. Territorial Governor Alexander Ramsey first used one of his own design—a sunburst surrounded by the motto, “Liberty, Law, Religion, and Education.” The Territorial Council then approved a second version depicting a Native family offering a ceremonial pipe to a white visitor, symbolizing “the eternal friendship” between settlers and Native Americans.[5]

Fur trader and territorial Representative Henry M. Sibley then commissioned four alternatives from Col. John J. Abert, an Army engineer and draftsman. One of the versions featured the theme occurring in the current seal, i.e. a White settler plowing land just as an Indian rides horseback away towards the sun, of which Sibley asked a watercolor version, created by Army Capt. Seth Eastman.[5] Sibley dismissed Territorial Gov. Ramsey's concerns that the imagery was too hostile towards Native Americans, and in fact, he doubled down on his idea by adding an ax and a Latin motto saying "I wish to see what is beyond" (Latin: Quo sursum velo videre) instead of adding a teepee to the territorial symbol. That seal became official in 1849.[6]

When Minnesota became a state in 1858, Sibley became the state's first governor. The state should have now changed the seal to reflect its new status, but even though the Legislature approved a new design, Sibley insisted on the one he had promoted while he was a territorial representative. He changed the motto to the current one in French and reoriented the Native American horseman so that he would ride into sunset. The Legislature yielded and approved Sibley's design in 1861.[6]

## Purpose[edit]

The duly elected secretary of state is custodian of the state seal in accordance with the Minnesota Constitution.[7] As with great seals in other jurisdictions, Minnesota's state seal serves to attest to the veracity of official government acts. In practice, the secretary of state uses the state seal to authenticate various instruments filed in his or her office, such as enrolled bills passed by the Legislature,[8] executive orders and proclamations issued by the governor,[9][10] oaths of office for state officials,[11] state agency administrative rules,[12][13][14][15] evidences of state debt,[16] extraditions,[17][18] certificates of registration for trademarks,[19] notary public commissions,[20] certifications of notarized documents,[21] or changes to municipal boundaries,[22] among many other public documents.[23]

## Symbolism[edit]

The seal includes two human figures, a Native American in the background and a pioneer in the foreground. The Native American is on horseback riding southward,[24][25] symbolizing Minnesota's Native American heritage. The only interaction between the figures is that they are observing each other. The rider's horse and spear, and the pioneer's hand axe, long gun, powder horn, and plow represent tools of daily life. The tools used by the Native American and the farmer represent the tools used for labor and hunting while the stump symbolizes the taming of the land and the importance of the lumber industry to Minnesota in 1858. The furrowing of the ground by the plow represents the submission of the land to the pioneer. The plow also symbolizes the importance of agriculture to Minnesota and its future. On the western horizon is a sunset. The straight horizon line reflects the plains covering much of Minnesota. The Mississippi River and St. Anthony Falls are depicted in the current seal to note the importance of these resources in transportation, industry and the settling of the state. (The river and waterfall are not on the original State Seal.) Beyond the falls on the current seal are three red pine (also known as Norway pine) trees representing the state tree and the three pine regions of the state: the St Croix, Mississippi, and Lake Superior.[26][27][28]

### Controversy[edit]

When the seal was commissioned, it was fairly common for territories to adopt seals with the underlying theme of manifest destiny, i.e. the belief that White settlers were ordained by God to colonize new territories.[6] Mary, Seth Eastman's wife, wrote a poem that suggested that "the red man's course is onward" and that the land should come to "the white man's grasping hand."[29]

Indigenous groups in Minnesota find the imagery offensive because their perception is that the seal celebrates the removal of Native Americans.[6][30] At the height of the civil rights movement in the 1960s, the American Indian Movement criticized the design and called for its reevaluation. In 1968, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights concurred and called to replace it with something that would not show Native Americans in a derogatory light, but little action was taken. The design underwent a minor change in 1983 when the rider was turned southwards (towards the farmer) rather than westwards (towards the sunset), but this did not change the mind for many people about the symbolics.[5] For example, Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan (DFL), who is a member of White Earth Band of Ojibwe, said the flag "literally [showed] the Native person being driven off their land" and has refused to use the state seal in her official documents.[31] According to Kevin Jensvold, leader of the Upper Sioux Community, few tribal reservations in the state fly the flag that contains the seal for the same reason.[32]

## 2023 redesign[edit]

The new officially adopted design

State Representative Mike Freiberg (DFL-Golden Valley) introduced a bill that would create a State Emblems Redesign Commission (passed as part of the state budget).[33] Freiberg justified his decision by deriding the current state seal as "a cluttered genocidal mess" that was in need of change. New designs of the flag and the seal are to be submitted in a report to the legislature by January 1, 2024, and, unless a bill is passed to reject the designs, the designs will become official designs on May 11, 2024 (Statehood Day).[32]

On December 5, 2023, the commission declared the new design by Ross Bruggink the winner in the contest, subject to small corrections. It features a common loon (the state bird), the North Star, Northern wild rice (the state grain), and some pine trees (the state tree being the Norway pine). The seal will also contain the Dakota phrase Mni Sóta Makoce, which is translated to 'land where the waters reflect the sky'.[34]

On December 19, 2023, the commission standardized the design by specifying that the outer seal will have 98 gold "boxes" to symbolize the 87 counties and 11 recognized American Indian tribes of Minnesota.[35]

### 2023 redesign criticism[edit]

The replacement of the Official Minnesota State Motto L'Etoile du Nord (translated to English as 'The Star of the North') with a Dakota language phrase Mni Sóta Makoce sparked controversy.

The redesign committee was directed in statute that: "Symbols, emblems, or likenesses that represent only a single community or person, regardless of whether real or stylized, may not be included in a design."[36]

Since the Dakota language is not an official language of the State, and the phrase Mni Sóta Makoce is not an official phrase of the State, conservative lawmakers have come out against the change.[37][38]

During commission proceedings, Minnesota Secretary of State, Steve Simon urged committee members not to include the Dakota phrase: "I would just ask members, since this is an item of some controversy, I would respectfully ask for a 'no' vote on this motion". Simon also urged the committee to keep the Minnesota statehood year, 1858, on the seal. The year was ultimately removed due to concerns from the Dakota community stemming from its association with broken treaties between governments of the United States and the Dakota people.[39]

## Government seals of Minnesota[edit]

* Former seal of the Minnesota Department of Transportation

* Seal of the Minnesota National Guard

## See also[edit]

* United States portal

* Flag of Minnesota

## References[edit]

1. ^ Office of the Revisor of Statutes (May 10, 1983). "119". 1.135 STATE SEAL. State of Minnesota. Archived from the original on March 12, 2014. Retrieved March 12, 2014. `{{cite book}}`: `|work=` ignored (help)
2. ^ Minnesota Historical Society. "State Seal" (PDF). State of Minnesota. pp. 21–23. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 5, 2005. Retrieved September 5, 2005.
3. ^ "HF1830". Office of the Revisor of Statutes. 2023.
4. ^ Cummings, Caroline (2023-12-08). "Designer of new Minnesota state seal "honored" the commission chose his work". WCCO \- CBS Minnesota. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
5. ^ a b c Convery, William (2023-09-20). "Minnesota State Seal". MNOpedia. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
6. ^ a b c d Bierschbach, Briana (2023-11-03). "Minnesota's state seal and flag are changing. How was this controversial image created?". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
7. ^ "Article XIII, Section 11, Minnesota Constitution". Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
8. ^ "Sec. 4.034, 2023 Minnesota Statutes". Retrieved December 16, 2023.
9. ^ "Sec. 4.03, 2023 Minn. Stats". Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
10. ^ "Sec. 4.035, 2023 Minn. Stats". Minnesoat Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
11. ^ "Sec. 358.11, 2023 Minn. Stats". Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
12. ^ "Sec. 14.08, 2023 Minn. Stats". Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
13. ^ "Sec. 14.16, 2023 Minn. Stats". Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
14. ^ "Sec. 14.26, 2023 Minn. Stats". Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
15. ^ "Sec. 14.386, 2023 Minn. Stats". Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
16. ^ "Sec. 16A.462, 2023 Minn. Stats". Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
17. ^ "Sec. 629.07, 2023 Minn. Stats". Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
18. ^ "Sec. 929.22, 2023 Minn. Stats". Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
19. ^ "Sec. 333.21, 2023 Minn. Stats". Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
20. ^ "Sec. 359.01, 2023 Minn. Stats". Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
21. ^ "Apostille Authentication". Minnesota Office of the Secretary of State. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
22. ^ "Sec. 414.09, 2023 Minn. Stats". Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
23. ^ "About Official Documents". Minnesota Office of the Secretary of State. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
24. ^ "Sec. 1.135 MN Statutes". www.revisor.mn.gov. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
25. ^ "Minnesota (U.S.)". www.crwflags.com. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
26. ^ "Minnesota Statutes - 1.135 STATE SEAL". Office of the Revisor of Statutes. 1983. Archived from the original on June 9, 2012. Retrieved June 9, 2012.
27. ^ www.n-state.com, NSTATE, LLC. "Minnesota State Flag - About the Minnesota Flag, its adoption and history from NETSTATE.COM". www.netstate.com. Retrieved 2017-08-11.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
28. ^ "1.135, 2011 Minnesota Statutes". 2012-06-09. Archived from the original on 2012-06-09. Retrieved 2017-08-11.
29. ^ Hedin, Robert (2007). Where One Voice Ends Another Begins: 150 Years of Minnesota Poetry. Minnesota Historical Society. p. 5\. ISBN 978-0-87351-584-9.
30. ^ Judd, Jake. "Finalists Selected for Redesigned State Flag and Seal to Eliminate Controversial Imagery". KNSI. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
31. ^ Londoño, Ernesto (2023-12-09). "Minnesota Is Looking for a New State Flag. Residents Have a Few (Thousand) Ideas". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
32. ^ a b Callaghan, Peter (2023-06-08). "Formal effort begins to replace 'cluttered genocidal mess' on Minnesota flag". MinnPost. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
33. ^ "HF1830". Office of the Revisor of Statutes. 2023.
34. ^ "Minnesota's new state seal will feature a loon". FOX 9. 2023-12-05. Retrieved 2023-12-10.
35. ^ Minnesota flag redesign commission meeting | LIVE, retrieved 2023-12-19
36. ^ https://www.revisor.mn.gov/laws/2023/0/Session+Law/Chapter/62/#:~:text=Sec. 118. STATE EMBLEMS REDESIGN COMMISSION.
37. ^ https://klfdradio.com/news/local/urdahl-opposes-new-seal-flag-designs
38. ^ https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/minnesota-state-flag-lawmakers-could-intervene/
39. ^ https://alphanews.org/commission-adds-dakota-phrase-removes-statehood-date-and-motto-from-new-seal/

This article incorporates text by William Convery available under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license.

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