The St. Francis City Council indicated support for reverting to Minnesota’s pre-2023 state flag during its Jan. 6 meeting, following a suggestion from Mayor Mark Vogel.
The Minnesota Legislature adopted the current state flag design in 2023 after recommendations from the State Emblems Redesign Commission. The previous flag, last redesigned in 1957, has drawn criticism for its depiction of a Native American riding into the sunset while a white settler plows a field.
The city attorney for St. Francis said any official action would need to come through a resolution, which could be considered at a future meeting.
Vogel said his proposal was intended as a statement of opposition to actions taken at the state level.
“I don’t think we’ve got their attention yet,” Vogel said. “It’s a big fingerpointing game and it’s going nowhere. And so I look at this as a statement.”
Vogel also questioned the process by which the state flag was changed, saying he believed such a decision should have gone directly to voters.
“And just running an online survey isn’t going to the people,” Vogel said. “This, in my opinion, is paramount to changing the name of Minnesota.”
Vogel said the city’s former state flags are still believed to be in storage and that switching back would not create a new expense.
Council Member Joe Muehlbauer said he researched the issue and found no statutory requirement for cities to fly the new state flag, citing Minnesota statute 1.141.
Public Works Director Paul Carpenter said he believed the city still possessed old state flags, though he was unsure how many.
Council Member Amy Faanes questioned how many cities have adopted the new flag and said she believed returning to the previous design would be well received locally.
“I hear a lot about it on social media, and I feel like it would make our citizens happy,” Faanes said. “I personally didn’t agree with changing it in the first place.”
Faanes added that she believed the process to redesign the flag should have included broader public input or a vote.
Vogel said representing residents was a key motivation behind the proposal, adding that while he had not received widespread feedback, he had heard from several residents who supported the idea.
“I know some people won’t be thrilled with it,” Vogel said. “I think the majority are in favor of it.”
Council Member Sarah Udvig said she did not oppose the concept but raised concerns about the availability of the old flags, which are no longer being manufactured.
“When ours wears out, what are you going to do?” Udvig said. “We can make this statement now, but our next statement is going to be no flag.”
Council Member Kevin Robinson said there appeared to be shared confusion among residents about why the flag was changed and said elements of the former design resonated with Minnesotans.
“A few people got to make a choice for many of us,” Robinson said, criticizing the redesign process and its cost.
Vogel said if additional flags were needed in the future, he would personally cover the cost.
“If it comes down to financing one or two more flags, I’m happy to pay it out of my paycheck,” he said.
Minnesota’s former state flag design was finalized in 1957, based on the state seal created by Army Capt. Seth Eastman from an earlier sketch by Col. J.J. Albert at the request of Gov. Alexander Ramsey and delegate Henry Sibley.
The seal depicts a Native American riding westward as a white settler plows a field with a rifle leaning against a stump. According to reporting by the Associated Press, Minnesota’s 11 federally recognized Dakota and Ojibwe tribes have described the imagery as offensive, while flag design experts have criticized the design as overly complex.
The state Legislature adopted the current flag in 2023 following recommendations from the State Emblems Redesign Commission, citing concerns about symbolism and design clarity.