Massachusetts was among the first states of the US. Posted: Jul 16, 2020 / 02:45 PM EDT / Updated: Jul 16, 2020 / 08:16 PM EDT. Flown by Province of Massachusetts Bay which has the Flag of Great Britain in the canton. There are multiple debates over state flags here in New England. Group Calls For Change In Massachusetts State Flag, Ban On Native American Mascots At Public Schools. The time has come to change the white supremacist state flag and seal of Massachusetts. Charlie Baker on Monday, January 11th, 2021 signed (S.2848) – the resolve calling for the creation of a special commission to study and recommend a new or revised state seal and motto. This flag has also been adopted by the New England Revolution Major League Soccer team, The New England Independence Campaign, and Lincoln County, Maine. Gina Alkiewicz, a staff member at the North American Indian Center of Boston, speaks during a press conference last week. This article is more than 1 year old.. The Massachusetts State Flag is rooted in history. The seal depicts a Native American man, a colonist’s arm brandishing a sword, and a Latin phrase that reads, in part, “By the sword we seek peace.” The bill still needs House… Above his head is an arm holding a sword — an allusion to the violent conquest at the hands of English colonists. Revised Legislation to Change the Mass Flag and Seal. “I know in Massachusetts we tend to think of ourselves as the vanguard of change,” he told the reporters gathered at the State House. And is meant to act as an easy way to generate flags for your custom nation(s) - ensuring files are exported in the correct format and sizes. Massachusetts naval ensign from 1776 to 1971, Variant flag of Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Ense Petit Placidam, Sub Libertate Quietem, The Death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker's Hill, June 17, 1775, green pine tree and the motto "An Appeal to Heaven, Flags of the Governors of the U.S. States, Symbols of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Coat of arms of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Great Seal of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, https://malegislature.gov/VirtualTour/Artifact/63, https://changethemassflag.com/2021/01/12/governor-baker-signs-the-bill-establishing-a-special-commission-to-change-the-mass-flag-and-seal/, "Flags of the Early North American Colonies and Explorers", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Flag_of_Massachusetts&oldid=1000791728, Political controversies in the United States, Race-related controversies in the United States, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Note: Municipalities not listed have a town meeting form of government (see, This page was last edited on 16 January 2021, at 19:02. A commission to consider a new flag has been proposed in Massachusetts for decades, and gone nowhere, writes Rich Barlow. clock. Hosted by Massachusetts Peace Action, Friends Meeting At Cambridge - Quakers and North American Indian Center Of Boston. The flag of Massachusetts (reverse; 1908–1971), In April 1776, the Massachusetts State Navy adopted, as its flag (naval ensign), a white field charged with a green pine tree and the motto "An Appeal to Heaven." The flag of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the flag of Massachusetts. As monuments and sculptures across the country come under scrutiny, Native American advocates in Massachusetts revived a push for a change of the state flag … The arrow is pointing downward representing peace. Representative Sabadosa’s city, … During King Philip’s War of 1675-6, colonists forcibly took the land of Native Americans, including those who were loyal to the English, sold many into slavery in Barbados and left others to die on Deer Island without access to food or shelter. Surrounding the image is a Latin motto commonly translated as, “By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty.”. Stafenie Salguero, a Lakota woman who grew up in Billerica, addresses reporters. This bill would establish a special commission for the purpose of examining the seal and motto of the Commonwealth to determine that they accurately reflect the historic and contemporary commitments of the Commonwealth to peace, justice, liberty and equality, and to spreading the opportunities and advantages of education. In Boston last Thursday, a group of Native American activists and allies gathered at the front steps of the Massachusetts State House to push for legislation that would change the state’s controversial state seal and flag, which depicts a Native American man holding a longbow. He holds a bow in one hand and an arrow in the other. However, as outlined in the 2015 Globe article "It's no Confederate flag, but our banner is still pretty awful", there are an enormity of issues with the flag's symbolism, and, on top of those issues, the design of the flag, a "seal on a bedshe As monuments and sculptures across the country come under scrutiny, Native American advocates in Massachusetts revived a push for a change of … It has been represented by official but limited-purpose flags since 1676, though until 1908 it had no state flag per se to represent its government. Massachusetts’ Senate unanimously approved legislation Tuesday creating a special commission to review the state motto, flag and seal, which includes a controversial depiction of a Native American man. For the last 34 years, efforts to change … Massachusetts State Flag On a white field is a blue shield emblazoned with the image of a Native American, Massachuset. Ideology. The effort to change the state seal is not new. An exception were the two "Irish regiments" (the 9th and 28th Volunteers), each of which was permitted to carry an alternative green flag with a harp symbol. — As the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower's landing approaches next year, there is a growing push to change the Massachusetts state flag because of its depiction of a … Around 50 cities and towns across the commonwealth are considering resolutions to support changing the flag. The MA flag needs to change NOW. July 16, 2020 at 3:28 pm. In 1915 this was legally established as the state flag. Therefore people are advocating to change the imagery that is on our state flag. That shield displays an image of a Native American Indian. The flag of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the flag of Massachusetts. There is a movement underway to alter the Massachusetts state flag. Northampton City Council endorses call to change Massachusetts flag, seal Updated Mar 12, 2019; Posted Mar 08, 2019 The symbol found on the Massachusetts state flag faces calls for … Massachusetts is a peaceful state, and the Commonwealth’s current flag is not allowing us to put our best foot forward. That was in the 1980s. A variant of the white flag with blue seal was carried by each of the Massachusetts volunteer regiments during the Civil War alongside the National Colors. by: Chris Van Buskirk. The commonwealth’s seal, which appears on the Massachusetts flag, contains a depiction of Wampanoag Chief Ousamequin, also known as Massasoit, who stands in the center holding a bow. Walsh tapped for Labor secretary, councilors line up for mayoral race, Parks Service compiling online database of 54th Regiment soldiers, officers, Abutters struggle with Mass & Cass problems. The seal of the Massachusetts Bay Colony of 1629 showed an Indian and pine trees, and both these symbols have continued to be used up to the present time. Seal of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. “Right now, in this moment of COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement, what we’re seeing is social structures being challenged fundamentally,” said Pierite. The current standard depicts, on both sides, the state seal on a white background. Massachusetts is unique among states because its history and culture predate and epitomize the experiences of the country as a whole. Country Tag Freetype-only - country chooser popup disabled. Government Seals of Massachusetts. Massachusetts’ Senate unanimously approved legislation Tuesday creating a special commission to review the state seal and motto, which includes a controversial depiction of a Native American man. These 3 bills proposed would need to be passed in a timely fashion, before the current Beacon Hill session ends on July 31st. The current standard depicts, on both sides, the state seal on a white background. In Boston last Thursday, a group of Native American activists and allies gathered at the front steps of the Massachusetts State House to push for legislation that would change the state’s controversial state seal and flag, which depicts a Native American man holding a longbow. The flag of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the flag of Massachusetts. 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