Minnesota redesigns state flag after complaints old one was ‘offensive’ to Native Americans

A commission established in Minnesota to redesign the state's flag settled upon a new design Friday afternoon. The flag features a shape that resembles the general outline of the state on the left with an eight-pointed star in it, and a yet-to-be-decided-on pattern on the right side. 

According to the Star Tribune, the committee has until January 1 to make a final decision on whether the flag should have stripes or not and what color the stripes shall be. 

Chair of the commission, Luis Fitch told the outlet, "The next generation will be raised with a new flag. It's going to happen." He added, "We're not going to be able to make everybody happy. The whole idea since day one was to make sure we can [create] a flag that unites us instead of separates us."

The decision to re-design the state flag comes after some have complained that the flag and state seal are offensive to Native Americans in the state. The current flag depicts a man plowing his field as a Native American rides away on horseback. 

The committee, which was created by the legislature last session, used its $35,000 budget over a period of four months to sort through 2,600 new designs submitted by the public and eventually narrowed it down to one.

One user on X pointed out how one of the designs being discussed looks similar to the Jubaland state of Somalia flag. In the Minnesota design, there are three stripes to the right of a navy blue section with a star, which are ordered white, green, and then light blue. In the Somali flag, there is also a star on the left, with green, blue, and white stripes to its right. 

The commission is scheduled to meet again on Tuesday to flush out the final design details. The new design is expected to be flying at state buildings this spring.