A scroll came out over his mouth with the words "Come over and help us." All Or. This initial seal thus emphasized the missionary an… Lawmakers vote to change Mass. The blue shield features a native American of the Algonquin nation (in gold) holding a bow in his right hand and an arrow pointing downward in his left (indicating peacefulness). Compared to these life-stunting scourges, criticism of the Massachusetts state seal and flag as demeaning to Native Americans admittedly seems like swatting a … For the past 239 years, Massachusetts residents have lived in a state with a seal and a flag depicting a Native American man, a sword and the state motto written in Latin. The Great Seal of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts contains the coat of arms of Massachusetts. All of these elements are wrapped inside a white circle with a ring in which you can read the words “Commonwealth of Massachusetts”. The sword has its blade up, to remind that it was through the American Revolution that independence was won. Governor Charlie Baker has given the okie dokie to form a special commission to recommend a new state seal to adorn the state flag, and a new state motto. Native American leaders push for proposal before session ends By Steph Solis, masslive.com 4 days ago. Below the shield you will notice a blue ribbon and on top a hand with a sword. In its current form, the state seal shows a hand holding the sword over the head of a Native American with the Latin motto the translates to, “by the sword we seek peace.” The sword symbolizes Myles Standish, an English militia leader in the 1600s who attacked Native American settlements. Although the looser English translation more commonly used is, "By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty." A scroll came out over his mouth with the words "Come over and help us." That shield displays an image of a Native American Indian. The Seal uses as its central element the Coat of Arms of Massachusetts. He holds a bow in one hand and an arrow in the other. The last words were then written in Sidney's "Book of Mottoes", particularly favored by some in the American colonies. (Authorized Version). The composite's head was taken from a Chippewa chief in Montana. The 5-ponted silver  star above his right arm represents Massachusetts as one of the original thirteen states. This quotation is believed to originate from Acts 16:9: "And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us." Will Massachusetts pass bill to redesign state seal and motto? An official emblem of the State, the Coat of Arms was adopted by the Legislature in 1775, and then reaffirmed by Governor John Hancock and his Council on December 13, 1780. The seal depicts a Native American standing beneath a disembodied arm wielding a sword and the Latin motto, "By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty." Like the current seal, he held in his hand an arrow pointed down. Elizabeth Solomon of the Massachusett Tribe at Ponkapoag has said the imagery "promotes a history of … BOSTON — Massachusetts lawmakers last week took a step toward potentially replacing the official state seal and motto, a victory for activists who … The bill is … The Seal of Biliteracy is for any student in the senior year who demonstrates proficiency in English and another other language, whether they speak the non-English language at home or learned it at school or in the community. The Massachusetts state seal depicts the Coat of Arms design of a blue shield with a Algonquian Native American that has a bow and arrow and a white star. TWEET. Above the shield is the state military crest: a bent arm holding a broadsword aloft. With the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower landing approaching in 2020, it’s time to change the Massachusetts Flag and Seal. DESCRIPTION: The current version of the Massachusetts flag was officially adopted is 1908, and revised in 1971. The shield depicts an "Indian" with bow and arrow; the arrow is pointed downward, signifying peace. Chris Van Buskirk / State House News Service. This comes from the Book of Mottoes in the Royal Danish Library in Copenhagen, Denmark; written about 1659 by Algernon Sydney, English soldier and politician. Azure, a Native American passant. Massachusetts has kept a sword hanging over the heads of Native Americans for hundreds of years. The crest above displays a blue and gold braid with an arm grasping a broadsword - a representation of the state's motto (written in gold on a blue ribbon streaming below the native American): "Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem" (By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty). The current form of the 1780 seal was adopted in 1890, replacing the Massachusetts Indian with a composite. The next seal was adopted by the Provincial Congress on December 13, 1780. Duration: 00:20 1 day ago. (Translated, this means "This hand of mine, which is hostile to tyrants, seeks by the sword quiet peace under liberty.") Skip to comments. Native leaders and other racial justice activists have pushed for decades for Massachusetts to change its state seal, which depicts a Native American standing beneath a … Winchester High School's Sachem mascot is the latest Native American mascot in Massachusetts to get removed, while the state Senate approved a bill to explore replacing the "racist" state seal. Source | Reference Links | Additional Resources, State Symbols: Massachusetts Secretary of Commonwealth. [4], In June 1676, during King Philip's War, the Bay Colony ordered an updated version of this seal stamped onto medallions which were issued to Indian Christians fighting on behalf of Boston. This quotation is believed to originate from Acts 16:9: "And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us." Adopted in 1885, the Massachusetts state seal displays the coat of arms of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, surrounded by the words "Sigillum Reipublicae Massachusettensis" (Latin for "Seal of the Republic of Massachusetts"). This initial seal thus emphasized the missionary and commercial intentions of the original colonists. Massachusetts Flag. English: Seal of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Datum Basic design adopted by Governor John Hancock and the Council on December 13, 1780 [1] , present design adopted in … Note: Municipalities not listed have a town meeting form of government (see, This page was last edited on 13 January 2021, at 06:42. E. Within the shield and below on both sides flanking said likeness shall be a scroll in gold bearing the inscription "A Town May 14, 1636 O.S. In dexter chief a mullet of 5 Argent. The Massachusetts State Seal, adopted by Governor John Hancock and the Council on December 13, 1780 and made official by the General Court on June 4, 1885, is circular and bears a representation of the arms of the Commonwealth encircled with the words, "Sigillum Reipublicae Massachusettensis" (Seal of the Republic of Massachusetts). A blue ribbon (blue, signifying the Blue Hills of Quincy, Canton and Milton) surrounds the shield, bearing the state motto "Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem." 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