Minnesota’s new state flag should feature an eight-pointed North Star against a dark blue background shaped like the state, with a solid light blue field at the right, a special commission decided Tuesday as it picked a replacement for an older design that many Native Americans considered offensive.
The State Emblems Redesign Commission chose the final version on an 11-1 vote after finalizing a new state seal that depicts a loon, the state bird. Unless the Legislature rejects them, the new flag and seal will automatically become official April 1, 2024, when Minnesota observes Statehood Day.
The star echoes Minnesota’s state motto of “Star of the North.” The commission’s chairman, Luis Fitch, said that to him, the light blue represents the Mississippi River, “the most important river in the United States,” pointing to the North Star. But he acknowledged it could mean other things to other people. Symmetry and simplicity won out over other versions, including ones that included a green stripe for the state’s agricultural heritage.
Cool flag. I like the solid light blue over the stripes that were an option, K.I.S.S…
Feel like with that simplified they could have done something with color a little more interesting than the dark blue to really emphasize the shape of that dark blue region but if you can’t give this a 10/10 your standards are too high.
I liked the tri-color design, but this one is good too, like you said simplicity is best. The dark blue in the K shape is shaped like the state, so the solid color fits.