Seal of Minnesota

Great Seal of the State of Minnesota
Versions
Historical coat of arms (illustrated, 1876)
Armiger	State of Minnesota
Adopted	May 10, 1983
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. 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 Flag of Minnesota. In recent years, the seal and the flag have prompted backlash and controversy for its perceived depiction of Minnesota and Native Americans. In 2023, the state legislature created a commission to redesign both the seal and the state flag.

Symbolism

A Native American rides on horseback in the background, symbolizing Minnesota's Native American heritage. A sun on the western horizon is a sunset. The straight horizon line reflects the plains covering much of Minnesota. The Native American is on horseback is riding towards the south. The native's horse and spear and the pioneer's ax, rifle, and plow represent tools of daily life. The only interaction between the figures is one observing the other. 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 Mississippi River and St. Anthony Falls are depicted in the revised seal to note the importance of these resources in transportation, industry and the settling of the state. 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. The waterfalls are not on the original State Seal. Beyond the falls on the current seal are three pine trees representing the state tree and the three pine regions of the state; the St Croix, Mississippi, and Lake Superior.

Criticism of Symbolism

As displayed on the Flag of Minnesota, the Minnesota Great Seal has been criticized as racist. It is said to depict a European settler displacing an original Native American inhabitant of Minnesota. This inferred symbolism has been called an example of an erasure of native history to promote white racial power, as it provides a false historical context for the reality of native genocide and displacement as a result of white colonization. Over the years there were many proposals to redesign the seal.

2023 Redesign Commission

In May of 2023, the Minnesota Legislature authorized the creation of the Emblems Redesign Commission to redesign the State Seal and the Flag of Minnesota. The authorization was done as part of the annual state budget. The budget is expected to be signed into law. The new commission is charged with developing a new design for both the flag and seal, with the revised designs to be submitted to the legislature for approval by January 1, 2024.

Under guidelines set out in the law, "the designs must accurately and respectfully reflect Minnesota's shared history, resources, and diverse cultural communities. 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."

Government Seals of Minnesota

• 
  Seal of the Minnesota Department of Transportation
• 
  Seal of the Minnesota National Guard

See also

• Flag of Minnesota