For more than 50 years, Indigenous leaders have been calling for the Flag and Seal of Massachusetts to be changed.
On January 6th, 2021, the Massachusetts Legislature approved a bill to establish a Special Commission Relative to the Seal and Motto of the Commonwealth, and to invite Native leaders from the Wampanoag, Nipmuc, and Massachusett nations to sit with state legislators, historians, and other appointees on this 19-member panel. On November 15th, 2023, the Special Commission recommended that an advisory group be established, to work under the Secretary of the Commonwealth and an Indigenous co-chair, to design a new flag, seal and motto. The Commission also called for an educational program on the history and meaning of the flag and seal to be created.
Our voices in support of this historic process are needed now! The time has come to change the Massachusetts flag and seal.
Why is a change needed?
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. Finally, Native leaders of the area are being consulted about a new design for a flag and seal that may better express the ideals of peace, justice, and equality for all the people who now call the Commonwealth their home.
Here's how you can help
Share
Share our website with your friends and contacts throughout Massachusetts.
Download our flier and distribute it at meetings, community events or gatherings.
Download the Spanish version of our flier; descargue nuestro folleto y distribúyalo en reuniones, eventos comunitarios o reuniones.
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Contact legislators
Contact your state legislators and urge them to support the work of the Special Commission, to change the flag and seal of Massachusetts.
Follow this link to find out who your state legislators are.
Take action
Support other Indigenous-backed legislation pending in the state legislature, including bills to ban the use of Native mascots in public schools in the Commonwealth, to Celebrate and Teach Native Culture and History in public schools, to Protect Native Heritage, and to Recognize the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples Day in Massachusetts. Send an automated letter here.
Get involved locally
If your city or town has not yet voted to support changing the Massachusetts flag and seal, view the map below and contact us. We will let you know the steps you can take to add your city or town to that growing list.
Has your city or town already voted to support changing the flag and seal?
If not, contact us and let’s work together to make that happen. Select a highlighted town or city on the map below to learn more.
Ashfield
Voted in favor: 2019
Government type: Open Town Meeting
Amherst
Voted in favor: 2019
Government type: City Council
Harwich
Voted against: 2019
Deerfield
Government type: Open Town Meeting
Voted in Favor: April 25th, 2022
Belmont
Government type: Representative Town Meeting
Voted in Favor: 221 to 20 on May 9th, 2022
Bolton
Government type: Open Town Meeting
Voted in Favor: May 2nd, 2022
Lunenburg
Government type: Open Town Meeting
Voted in Favor: 48 - 20 on May 7th, 2022
Great Barrington
Upcoming action: Voted in Favor
Government type: Open Town Meeting
Date of town meeting: June 6th, 2022
Athol
Voted in Favor: June 13, 2022, approximately 2-1 with 105 people in attendance.
Government type: Open Town Meeting
Barre
Voted in Favor: June 14th, 2022: One of two towns to reverse their original No Vote from 2019; the other was Bernardston
Government type: Open Town Meeting
Petersham
Upcoming action: Voted in favor, 40 - 4
Government type: Open Town Meeting
Date of town meeting: June 6th
Stockbridge
Government type: Open Town Meeting
Voted in Favor: May 16th, 2022, 43- 29
Easthampton
Government type: City Council
Voted unanimously in favor, 9/7/22
Acton
Government type: Open Town Meeting
Voted in Favor: May 16th, 2022 - unanimously!
Williamsburg
Upcoming Action: Voted overwhelmingly in favor
Government type: Open Town Meeting
Date of town meeting: June 6th, 2022
Sturbridge
Upcoming action: Voted in favor, 78 - 29
Government type: Open Town Meeting
Date of town meeting: June 6th, 2022
Newburyport
Government type: City Council
Help Needed: to reach out to City Councilors
Ipswich
Upcoming Action: Resolution approved by a vote of 353 - 121 at the May 9th, 2023 annual town meeting.
Government Type: Open Town Meeting
Rowley
Voted against: 2019
Bernardston
Voted in favor: 2019
Government type: Open Town Meeting
Brewster
Voted in favor: 2019
Government type: Town Meeting
Brookline
Voted in favor: 2019
Government type: Representative Town Meeting
Buckland
Voted in favor: 2019
Government type: Open Town Meeting
Cambridge
Voted in favor: 2019
Government type: City Council
Chatham
Voted in favor: 2019
Government type: Town Meeting
Colrain
Voted in favor: 2019
Government type: Open Town Meeting
Conway
Voted in favor: 2019
Government type: Open Town Meeting
Cummington
Voted in favor: 2019
Government type: Open Town Meeting
Dennis
Voted in favor: 2020
Government type: Town Meeting
Eastham
Voted in favor: 2019
Government type: Town Meeting
Erving
Voted in favor: 2019
Government type: Open Town Meeting
Gill
Voted in favor: 2018
Government type: Open Town Meeting
Greenfield
Voted in favor: 2019
Government type: Town Council
Hadley
Voted in favor: 2019
Government type: Town Meeting
Heath
Voted in favor: 2019
Government type: Open Town Meeting
Leverett
Voted in favor: 2019
Government type: Open Town Meeting
Leyden
Voted in favor: 2019
Government type: Open Town Meeting
Lincoln
Voted in favor: 2019
Government type: Town Meeting
Montague
Voted in favor: 2019
Government type: Representative Town Meeting
New Salem
Voted in favor: 2018
Government type: Open Town Meeting
Northampton
Voted in favor: 2019
Government type: City Council
Northfield
Voted in favor: 2019
Government type: Open Town Meeting
Orange
Voted in favor: 2019
Government type: Open Town Meeting
Orleans
Voted in favor: 2019
Government type: Town Meeting
Pelham
Voted in favor: 2019
Government type: Open Town Meeting
Plainfield
Voted in favor: 2019
Government type: Open Town Meeting
Provincetown
Voted in favor: 2019
Government type: Open Town Meeting
Rowe
Voted in favor: 2019
Government type: Open Town Meeting
Royalston
Voted in favor: 2019
Government type: Open Town Meeting
Shelburne
Voted in favor: 2019
Government type: Open Town Meeting
Shutesbury
Voted in favor: 2019
Government type: Open Town Meeting
Sunderland
Voted in favor: 2019
Government type: Open Town Meeting
Truro
Voted in favor: 2021
Government type: Town Meeting
Warwick
Voted in favor: 2019
Government type: Open Town Meeting
Wellfleet
Voted in favor: 2020
Government type: Open Town Meeting
Wendell
Voted in favor: 2018
Government type: Open Town Meeting
Whately
Voted in favor: 2019
Government type: Open Town Meeting
Windsor
Voted in favor: 2019
Government type: Open Town Meeting
Charlemont
Government Type: Open Town Meeting
Voted in Favor: 2019
South Hadley
Already Voted in Favor: 61 - 9 on November 30th, 2022
Type of Government: Elected Town Meeting
Falmouth
Voted in Favor: On Tuesday, April 11th, 2023, Falmouth Annual Town Meeting voted 98 - 94 in favor of changing the flag and seal.
Type of Government: Elected Town Meeting
Swampscott
Already Voted in Favor: Resolution approved by an overwhelming majority at the May 17th, 2023 annual town meeting.
Type of Government: Elected Town Meeting
Westhampton
Voted in Favor: Resolution was approved unanimously at the Saturday, May 13th 2023 Annual Town Meeting.
Type of Government - Open Town Meeting
Ashby
Voted in Favor: The resolution was approved by majority vote at the annual town meeting on Saturday, May 6th, 2023.
Type of Government: Open Town Meeting.
Belchertown
Upcoming Action: Resolution approved by a vote of 91 -54 at the May 8th, 2023 annual town meeting.
Type of Government: Open Town Meeting
Newburyport
Voted in Favor: The Newburyport City Council voted 7 - 3 (with one abstention) in favor of a Resolution in Support of Changing the Flag and Seal, on Monday, March 13th, 2023.
Type of Government: City Council, 11 members: 6 by ward, 5 at-large
Help Needed: Gathering signatures; lobby councilors; attend hearing and speak in favor.
Williamstown
Voted in Favor: Resolution approved by overwhelming majority at the May 16th, 2023 town meeting.
Type of Government: Open Town Meeting
Becket
Voted in Favor: Resolution was approved with all but one voter in at the well attended annual town meeting voting in favor on May 13th, 2023. There was no official count, but it looked like about 99 in favor, only one opposed.
Type of Government: Open Town Meeting.
Arlington
Voted in Favor: Resolution approved by majority at the annual town meeting on 5/15/2023
Type of Government: Elected Town Meeting
West Newbury
Upcoming Action: Resolution Passed UNANIMOUSLY at the annual town meeting, Monday, April 24th!
Type of Government: Open town meeting
West Brookfield
Already Voted in Favor: Resolution passed by majority vote at the June 13th annual town meeting, 2023.
Type of Government: Open Town Meeting.
North Brookfield
Voted Against: The resolution to change the flag and seal was turned down by a vote of 31 - 43 at the annual town meeting of 5/5/23
Type of Government: Open Town Meeting
Harvard
Upcoming Action: Resolution approved by an overwhelming majority at the annual town meeting on Saturday, April 29th.
Type of Government: Open Town Meeting
Merrimac
Upcoming Action: Resolution passed by majority vote at the Annual Town Meeting on Monday, May 8th, 2023.
Type of Government: Open Town Meeting
Hanson
Voted in Favor: Resolution approved at the Annual Town Meeting of Monday, May 1st, 2023 in Hanson, by a vote of 71 to 48.
Government Type: Open Town Meeting
Grafton
Voted in Favor: Resolution approved by a decisive majority at the May 9th, 2023 annual town meeting.
Type of Government: Open Town Meeting
Lee
Upcoming Action: Resolution passed by a vote of 44 - 39 at 11:30 pm at the annual town meeting on Thursday, May 11th, 2023.
Type of Government: Open Town Meeting
Monson
Upcoming Action: Resolution failed by a vote of 133 - 155 at the May 9th, 2023 annual town meeting.
Government Type: Open Town Meeting
Brookfield
Voted in Favor: Brookfield voted 52 - 36 at the annual town meeting on June 1st, 2023, in favor of the resolution.
Type of Government: Open Town Meeting
Newbury
Upcoming Action: Resolution passed at the April 25th Annual Town Meeting.
Government Type: Open Town Meeting
Pepperell
Upcoming Action: Resolution was voted down at the May 8th annual town meeting.
Government Type: Open Town Meeting
Hawley
Upcoming Action: Resolution failed by a vote of 14 - 9 at the May 8th, 2023 annual town meeting.
Type of Government: Open town meeting
Amesbury
Voted in Favor: Amesbury City Council voted UNANIMOUSLY in favor of changing the flag and seal on April 11th, 2023.
Oakham
Upcoming Action: Resolution to Change the Flag and Seal was voted down by majority at the annual town meeting on June 13, 2023. The moderator allowed opponents to speak first, at length, before allowing the proponent who had risen to introduce the article to speak. When an opponent followed up by speaking against the resolution and calling the question at the same time, the moderator allowed this breach of town meeting rules to occur. Then the moderator called the discussion over, after the vote to call the question carried. He had to be instructed by the town counsel to allow a vote on the main motion. By that point, many people in the room were thoroughly confused about what they were in fact voting on.
Type of Government: Open Town Meeting
Goshen
Already Voted in Favor: Resolution was approved by a nearly unanimous vote (approximately 80 to 1 with 3 abstentions) at the Saturday, May 20th, annual town meeting.
Type of Government: Open Town Meeting
Sudbury
Sudbury special town meeting voted 139 - 13 on Monday, October 23, 2023 in favor of changing the flag and seal.
Boxborough
On Monday, November 6th, 2023, the Boxborough Town Meeting voted unanimously in favor of changing the flag and seal.
Wayland
A resolution in support of changing the flag and seal of Massachusetts will appear on the warrant for the annual town meeting of Monday, May 13th, 2024. The meeting begins at 6:45 pm at the Field House of the Wayland High School, 264 Connecticut Path. Plan to attend the meeting and support the resolution.
Hamilton
Hamilton's annual Town Meeting voted 390 to 102 on April 6th, 2024 in support of changing the flag and seal.
Wenham
Wenham's annual town meeting voted 88 to 15 in support of changing the flag and seal on April 6th, 2024
Stay up to date
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