Another Minnesota city is choosing to fly the old state flag.
The new Minnesota state flag was adopted in 2023, driven initially by DFL lawmakers who said too many found the old state flag racially offensive, and poorly designed.
Now, Elk River's city council voted unanimously to revert to the state flag that was originally adopted in 1957, and updated in 1983 using the old state symbol which displayed an Indian fleeing a pioneer.
Elk River says nearly 75% of those that responded to their survey wanted to revert to the old flag.
They join a handful of other cities in the state, including Champlin, Zumbrota, North Branch, Detroit Lakes, Pine Island, Crosslake, Babbitt and Wadena in rejecting the new flag.
A commission spent six months hearing from residents, along with taking testimony and input on the new design, which was eventually adopted. There were more than 2,000 initial submissions which were then pared down. That was followed by a full review of every submission, comments that people left on the various designs, and a top 25 selection from every person on the commission.
At the same time, Minnesota also adopted a new state seal. The North American Vexillological Association, published a survey at one point where flag experts rated Minnesota’s old flag as one of the ten worst designs in the U.S.
Proponents for the new flag say the old flag also was not recognizable enough, in addition to those that took issue with the portrayal of Native people on the old flag. The image on the flag was thought to be too jumbled, and made it indistinguishable from other state flags.
But in Elk River and other areas that want the old flag to be used, opponents have claimed the new flag doesn't "represent them," and took issue with the selection process feeling Greater Minnesota was not included in the decision. Some around the state have also said this new flag "whitewashes history."
The current state flag is the fourth iteration since Minnesota became a U.S. territory in 1849, and statehood in 1858. There had been a few attempts to remake the flag, most notably a failed study in 1989, and a handful of attempts between 2000 and 2007.
