Minnesota Releases New State Flag After Criticism of Old Flag Over Native American Depiction

Minnesota released its new flag design Tuesday after deciding to retire its former design that was criticized for its depiction of Native Americans.

The old flag featured an emblem showing a Native American man on horseback riding through a field as it was tilled by a settler. In May 2023, the Minnesota legislature passed a bill calling for a redesign of the flag and state seal.

The new flag shows a white star on an abstract shape of Minnesota in dark blue, with the rest of the flag a lighter blue to represent Minnesota's waters.

An earlier redesign had a few more colors, including a green stripe that made some conservative pundits claim it looked too close to the Somalian flag. Minnesota has a large population of Somali immigrants, including Rep. Ilan Omar, who says she had "nothing to do" with the flag design.

The flag was based on a design by Minnesota artist Andrew Prekker, who said in a statement: "It is my greatest hope that this new flag can finally represent our state and all its people properly. That every Minnesotan of every background —including the Indigenous communities and tribal nations who’ve been historically excluded— can look up at our flag with pride and honor, and see themselves within it."