Minnesota’s new state flag has sparked controversy, with critics arguing that it erases the state’s unique history and replaces it with a symbol that feels more aligned with totalitarian regimes than American values. Jill Simonian, Director of Outreach for PragerU Kids, is one of the most vocal critics of the flag change. She argues that the new flag, featuring an eight-point star, disregards the contributions of Native Americans and removes the state’s French heritage, ultimately undermining the importance of understanding the diversity of American states.
Simonian’s concerns stem from her work creating educational content for children. While filming a video about Minnesota’s history, she discovered that the state’s historical flag, featuring a Native American on horseback and the motto “L’Etoile du Nord” (“Star of the North”), was replaced without any public vote. The new flag, featuring an eight-point star, is reminiscent of the Ottoman Empire’s flag during the late 1800s, a period marked by the Armenian genocide. It also resembles the flag of Azerbaijan, whose military ethnically cleansed indigenous Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh as recently as 2023.
Simonian argues that the replacement of the five-point star, a traditional American symbol, with an eight-point star raises further questions about the intent behind the flag change. She believes that the new flag, devoid of historical symbolism, deprives children of a deeper understanding of Minnesota’s rich history. She also points out that other states, including Utah, Maine, Illinois, and Massachusetts, are exploring similar changes to their state flags, replacing traditional designs with vague color blocks that seem to mimic totalitarian regimes.
Simonian emphasizes the importance of teaching the true diversity of American states, their unique stories, cultural values, and resources. She believes that removing historical symbols like the state flag erases this diversity and damages the education of American citizens. She encourages parents and educators to teach traditional history, the one that is being erased, flag by flag.
