While browsing through books at the Avera Thrift Store, I came across a book titled, “Growing Up In Minnesota: Ten Writers Remember Their Child- hoods”, edited by Chester G. Anderson, copyright 1976.

On a blustery Minnesota day, I opened the book, and to my surprise, opposite the first page of type was a ink drawing of “The Great Seal Of Minnesota”, with the date “1849” at the bottom of the circle. It was a seal design I had not seen before. Editor Anderson described it in an “Introduction: From Tepee to Ax and Stump.” His first paragraph reads:

“The Great Seal of Minnesota, dating from 1849, when the state was still a territory, tells its story succinctly. In the left foreground a farmer plows up the prairie. Near him in the right foreground stands the stump of a free with an ax embedded in it and a rifle, with a powder horn slung from the barrel, leaning against it. In the background, St. Anthony Falls (named by Father Hennepin in 1680) awaits the arrival of the millers, and beyond the falls the forests are as yet untouched by the stroke of the lumber-men. In the middle distance, a warrior on horseback, lance in hand, rides away toward the setting sun.” ( The farmer is looking over his right shoulder and the large setting sun and warrior on horseback are on the far right side of the seal. )

In the second paragraph, Anderson noted:

“One draft version of the seal showed a tribal family with a lodge and another showed a cabin and a hay- stack. The last letter that we have on the subject of the drafts was from Alexander Ramsey, the territorial governor, to Henry H. Sibley, the congressional delegate, on December 28, 1849. In it Ramsey argued for the inclusion of a tepee in the design: ‘Upon a more careful examination of the designs and mottoes for our seal, I come to these conclusions viz: that in the drawing by Capt. Abert, civilization, in the number & prominence of the objects, predominates too much over the Indian state, which at least for the present is our more distinctive characteristic.

In Capt. Eastman’s design, the equilibrium is better preserved; his is also more bold, grand & striking — if you think it would be better to adopt Abert’s design, would it not be well to take out some of the improvement ideas, say the stump & axe and in some appropriate part locate a ‘teepee’ . This would make the Indian life in the seal more striking & attractive.’” Anderson added this footnote: “William Watts Folwell, ‘A History of Minnesota’, vol. I Minnesota Historical Society, 1921, pp. 460-461. (Captain Eastman’s design was not pictured.)

The only change made was adding the rifle and powder horn. The motto in the sky reads, “QUO SURSUM VELO VIDERE.” Translation: “I wish to see what is above.” Anderson writes, “The founding fathers intended to say, “QUO ULTRA VOLO VIDERE” — ‘I wish to see what is beyond.'”

Anderson continues his introduction by describing Minnesota’s “comely” features — its many lakes and wildlife — stating, “Minnesota is a good place to live.” Then he writes more than a few words about “the sense of place”, giving examples from American literature that Americans tend to move from their birthplace, from small towns to the city, even though attachments to childhood places, such as an American farm, remain.

Among the remaining seven pages of Anderson’s introduction, one particular paragraph relating to the nature of Americans “liking to to be on the move was especially noteworthy, I thought.

“We could not understand, therefore, during the last century or so, why the tribal peoples did not want to be moved to just any old set of acres “reserved” for them, why they must keep the burial grounds. Chief Shakopee spoke up with a small voice in an attempt to retain Wayzata for his people. The name that the rich exurb of Minneapolis still bears means “the beautiful aspect of the Spirit.”

Recent news has stated that some land in one of Minneapolis’ parks has been returned to Native Americans. The seal for our state has been changed several times since that seal of 1849 was first approved and several versions of the seal have been placed on our state’s flag.

Governor Ramsey objected to the seal of 1849 because there were more objects of “civilization” than objects of “Indian life”. This was an accurate observation. Now a new Minnesota flag design has been selected by government officials, minus the seal. Many Minnesotans may have been unaware of the many, not easy to see details on the old flag. The new design is simple: the shape of Minnesota with a star in the center, re- placing the French words describing Minnesota as “the star of the north.”

The rest of the flag is divided into sky and water with two colors of blue.

“Minnesota” is a Native American word meaning “sky-tinted waters”.

Remember the Hamm’s beer commercial that began, “From the land of sky blue waters . . .” ?

Chester Anderson ended his “Introduction” with a bit of Minnesota humor: “Minnesota is Eden with hard winters and mosquitoes.”

Minnesota became our 32nd state on May 11, 1858. It would be nice to see that year placed above the star on our flag.

— Trudy Madetzke is a resident of Marshall