WORTHINGTON — On a 3-1 vote, Nobles County commissioners on Tuesday, Jan. 23 approved a resolution stating their dissatisfaction with the newly designed Minnesota state flag and seal, citing the costs they will incur for changing out flags, seals and even patches on law enforcement uniforms.
The new state seal will replace the former seal statewide on May 11, which is Minnesota’s statehood day. The former flag and seal each featured a Dakota native on horseback, which were considered culturally insensitive to Minnesota’s indigenous Dakota people and their place in state history.
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It’s kind of ironic that the old state seal they thought was offensive to Native Americans… and now we’re using Native American verbiage in the new one.
By adopting the resolution, which involves sending a letter voicing their opinion to the Minnesota Legislature, State Emblem Redesign Commission and Gov. Tim Walz, Nobles County is joining a list of other Minnesota counties that have adopted similar resolutions.
in favor of sending a letter of opposition to Walz and the Legislature. McLeod County, Houston County and the Minnesota Republican Party have also publicly renounced the new flag and seal designs.
The resolution supports the argument that the original seal illustrates the state’s agricultural industry, indigenous history and coexistence of settlers and natives, and also states that changing the flag and seal would negatively impact county budgets.
“There’s been dialogue amongst other county administrators,” shared Nobles County Administrator Bruce Heitkamp. “This is state business. However, state business often trickles down with unfunded mandates.”
Heitkamp said the change of seals and flags also entails the change of law enforcement uniforms, which bear the state flag and state seal.
“Sheriff (Ryan) Kruger and his staff’s uniforms, which represent the seal and (their) badges represent the seal,” he said. “It starts getting into the expense … it starts getting into our pockets. I think there’s arguments that it is.”
“Why can’t we… when the new deputies come on or you have to get new shirts or whatever the case may be, can we change them at that time?” Commissioner Bob Paplow asked.
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“That may be an option, but I don’t want half of my department to have the new patch and then (the other) half have the old patch,” Kruger replied. “I think that looks very unprofessional. Each deputy has a couple uniforms. That’s not just deputies, that’s regular (officers) as well.”
Nobles County Attorney Braden Hoefert said he hadn’t yet heard what the law requires in terms of implementing the new flag and seal.
Several commissioners said the old state seal reflected Minnesota’s history more accurately than the new one. Commissioner Gene Metz, meanwhile, said that the inclusion of the Dakota phrase “Mni Sota Macoke” (which translates to “land where the waters reflect the clouds,” from which the state’s name is derived) was ironic given the redesigns were the result of criticisms of a Dakota native on horseback within the old flag and seal.
“It’s kind of ironic that the old state seal they thought was offensive to Native Americans… and now we’re using Native American verbiage in the new one,” said Metz.
“It tells more of the story of Minnesota than this does,” added Commissioner Robert Demuth Jr., who ultimately voted in opposition to the resolution. “This (issue) is just one of those dumpster fire things.”
Ultimately, Metz said the battle to stop the changing of the emblems is an uphill one that isn’t worth the fight.
“Some of the counties are doing this, some of them aren’t. I was curious as to what MRC (Minnesota Rural Counties) was going to do,” Metz said. “They’ve got about 22 rural counties now and they brought it up at their last meeting. The vote was split right down the middle, about 50-50. I talked to Sen. Bill Weber and he said it was out of the legislature’s hands.
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“He said, ‘If you want to send it, send it just to send a message,’” Metz shared. “It all just depends on whether you want to send a message. I kind of am on both sides… but don’t burn any bridges trying to fight something that’s not going to change. We’ve got other, bigger fish to fry. At some point, we just have to make a stand.”
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