BOSTON (AP) — A stalled effort to find alternatives to the motto and seal of the state of Massachusetts, which many have condemned as racist for its portrayal of the state’s Indigenous peoples, is regaining momentum.
The panel, set up by the state legislature in 2021 to review and propose changes, missed its deadline late last year and requested an extension. Lawmakers gave him until November 15 on Thursday to complete his work and forward his recommendations to lawmakers, who would need to approve any changes.
Advertising
The article continues below this ad
“We are grateful for the Legislature’s support and ready to get back to work,” said Brian Boyles, co-chair of the 19-member task force on the Commonwealth’s official seal and motto.
The extension was included in a $1.1 billion additional budget approved by the Legislature, which is awaiting the signature of Democratic Gov. Maura Healey. A spokesman for the governor’s office said it was under investigation.
The current seal, which dates from the late 19th century, features a depiction of a Native American beneath a disembodied arm holding a sword, which critics say is a reference to the cruelty of English colonists to local tribes centuries ago .
Advertising
The article continues below this ad
It is everywhere. It is on the state flag, in several prominent locations around the statehouse, on the state police shoulder patches, and in countless other locations.
The state’s Latin motto, which translates to “With the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty,” dates from 1659 and, according to the Foreign Secretary, is attributed to the English politician Algernon Sydney. It, too, has been condemned for failing to reflect the experiences of indigenous peoples, who were often denied peace and freedom during colonial times.
Efforts to change the state seal have been going on for decades, but the most recent effort began in early 2021 with the establishment of the commission, made up of lawmakers, local tribal representatives, historians and others.
Jean-Luc Pierite, president of the board of directors of the North American Indian Center of Boston, a group pushing for changes to the seal and motto, said Friday the pace of the panel’s progress has been frustrating at times, but has been slowed by the Deadline has been encouraged extension.
Advertising
The article continues below this ad
“This is a step in a positive direction to get the job done,” said Pierite, a member of Louisiana’s Tunica Biloxi tribe. “There was so much work, just not by the Commission itself, but by the many people who have been pushing for this for 35 years. All of that work should be recognized by the completion of the process.”
He pointed to Mississippi, which changed its state flag within months. Legislators there voted to remove the Confederate battle emblem from the flag in June 2020, and voters approved a new design in November 2020.
The Mississippi comparison isn’t entirely fair, said Boyles, executive director of the nonprofit Mass Humanities.
“This seal is everywhere in Massachusetts you look,” he said. “What is missing is recognition of a long history of violence and marginalization of indigenous people. And in that regard, I think Massachusetts is probably lagging behind Mississippi when it comes to recognizing enslavement.”
Advertising
The article continues below this ad
Brittney Peauwe Wunnepog Walley, vice chair of the commission and a member of the Hassanamisco Nipmuc tribe, justified the time the commission has taken so far.
“This is really deep work, and anything worth doing is worth doing right, and doing it right is going to take a lot of time,” she said recently. “There’s a lot of complexity involved here in terms of thinking through the layers: ‘Why are we changing it? What are we going to change about that?’ There are so many questions.”
In an interim report to the legislature late last year, she suggested that a new design for the seal should include symbols or elements from nature that might better reflect the condition, including native plants or animals, such as cranberries or a titmouse, geographically or nautical clues or another significant symbol such as a mayflower blossom.
Advertising
The article continues below this ad
According to the interim report, the motto should contain terms such as equality, freedom, peace and hope and should be easier to understand.
Now that the deadline has been extended, one of the commission’s top priorities will be collecting public input, Boyles said.
Source