Native Americans have been working for decades to change the offensive, racist Massachusetts Flag and Seal.

Please sign this Petition to get the Town of Franklin to join 52 other MA communities in supporting creating a state Flag and Seal we can all be proud of!

*You need to be a resident of Franklin, MA and list your address in the Comment Section, for your signature to be counted. (You have the option to hide this from public view.)

“The imagery of the Massachusetts Flag and Seal – a white hand holding a Colonial sword over the head of an Indigenous person, above a Latin motto that translates: “She Seeks by the Sword a Quiet Peace under Liberty”-is seen by many as a symbol of violence against Indigenous people and a memorial to the violent colonization of their homelands.”

From changethemassflag.com

Background
Natives and their Allies are requesting that towns/cities pass this Resolution which will be sent to the Commission that is currently meeting to study and make recommendations to the legislature about this issue. The goal is to communicate to the Commission that the support for changing the MA Flag and Seal extends well beyond the Native Community. All Franklin Representatives, Karen Spilka, Rebecca Rausch, and Jeff Roy, voted in favor of setting up the Commission, and are in support of Flag and Seal changes. They will also receive copies of a passed Resolution. 52 other MA towns/cities have passed the Resolution. Supporting the passage of this Resolution by Franklin is one, seemingly perhaps small, but very meaningful way for Franklin residents to acknowledge the debt to the previous residents of where we now make our homes.

Terms of the Bill:

* Establishment of a 19-member Commission to “examinethe seal and motto of the Commonwealth to determine that they accurately reflect the historic and contemporary commitment of the Commonwealth to peace, justice, liberty and equality, and to spreading the opportunities and advantages of education”

“The commission shall make recommendations for a revised or new design of the seal….and a revised or new motto…”

The 19-member commission includes 6 Native Representatives. This is the first time any Native has been a part of the process of choosing a MA Flag in Seal.

This Resolution is part of the MA Indigenous Legislative Agenda

Resolution in Support of Changing the MA State Flag and Seal – Final Paragraph

“Now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED that the Town of Franklin hereby adopts this resolution in support of the work of the Special Commission Relative to the Seal and Motto of the Commonwealth, established by a Resolve of the General Court in 2020 and appointed by the Governor to recommend changes to the current flag and seal of Massachusetts, and in support of a new seal and motto for the Commonwealth that may better reflect our aspirations for harmonious and respectful relations between all people who now call Massachusetts home. The city clerk shall forward a copy of this resolution to Sen. Marc Pacheco and Rep. Antonio Cabral, co-chairs of the Joint Committee on State Administration, who serve as members of the Special Commission Relative to the Seal and Motto of the Commonwealth, and to Sen. Karen Spilka, Sen Rebecca Rausch, and Rep. Jeffrey Roy, with the request that they continue their advocacy and support for the work of the aforementioned Special Commission.”

The site changethemassflag.com includes sections on History, Native Voices, Archive of Commission Meetings, and Full text of the Resolution

Watch: vimeo.com/715680582