BOSTON, MA – JUNE 7: The state flag of Massachusetts, depicting a Native American under an arm wielding a sword, hangs in front of the Massachusetts State House in Boston on June 7, 2019. There has been an ongoing effort to change the flag, under fire for decades, but now Cambridge city officials are taking a stand. City councilors voted last month to support a bill in the State House that proposes creating a commission to redesign the flag, which Native Americans and others say is offensive. (Photo by John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Massachusetts' Senate unanimously approved legislation Tuesday creating a special commission to review the state motto, flag and seal, which includes a controversial depiction of a Native American man.
The seal depicts a Native American man, a colonist's arm brandishing a sword, and a Latin phrase that reads, in part, "By the sword we seek peace."
The bill still needs House approval, but Native American groups praised the vote.
"A white hand holding a colonial sword over the head of a Native person is a terrible and racist symbol that has no place representing our state," North American Indian Center of Boston, the United American Indians of New England, and other groups said in a joint statement.
They also called on lawmakers to take action on two other proposals ahead of their summer recess: a bill banning public schools from using Indian mascots and another strengthening protections for Indian burial sites and sacred objects.
The Senate's state seal bill creates a commission to investigate features of the official seal and motto that "may be unwittingly harmful" or misunderstood. It would also make recommendations for a new seal design or motto.
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Members of the commission would include Massachusetts tribe members as well as representatives for the state commission on Indian affairs, the state historical commission and the state cultural council, among other agencies.
The commission would be charged with submitting its report to lawmakers by October 2021.
