New commission for the change of controversial state seal already behind the schedule

A new effort Finding suggestions for a new seal in Massachusetts in July is already behind the schedule.

The advisory commission, which focuses on replacing the controversial emblem, must offer three options for the state seal, the flag and the motto of the state. It must also obtain public comments through at least three public hearings throughout the state and send its final recommendations to governor Maura Healey by July 29.

But it is planned to stop his first meeting on March 20, about eight months after its foundation. The 10-member commission, which receives $ 100,000 for the efforts, is still missing.

The Senator of Northampton, Senator Jo Comerford, a first -class advocate of the Commission to change the seal, and a legislator who represents part of Western Massachusetts expects the Commission to miss the period of July. “We start late, we won't achieve it, but that will not be a failure of this commission,” she said. “It only means that we will continue to try.”

Comerford and others criticized the seal and described it as racist or an outdated symbol of violence against indigenous people. The picture is also on the condition flag.

The seal – which goes back hundreds of years and at a time when the early English discoverers have lodged and killed, is set up, one arm shows an arm over an American man who holds a bug. The motto, an expression that is roughly translated from Latin, it says: “We are looking for peace for the sword, but only under freedom.”

This is the second attempt by the Commonwealth in five years to redesign the seal. Despite several extensions of the deadline, a 20-member body in 2021 could not agree on a new seal, which caused Foreign Minister William Galvin to describe it as a “complete failure”.

After the signing of the new Commission last summer, Healey only appointed the two chairpersons in December: Patrick Tutwiler, her educational manager, and Kate Fox, the executive director of the office for travel and tourism.

Rhonda Anderson, the western Massachusetts Commissioner for Indian affairs, an Iñupiaq -Athabascan from Alaska, and a member of the current commissioned, which commissioned the task of the seal, urged what she called Galvin's “unfairly harsh” characterization of the previous commission.

“Unfortunately, there is a lack of need to recognize colonial historical damage and to take responsibility for reparation. This includes deep listening to complaints and understanding of how oppression and marginalization are continued today,” said Anderson in an e -mail. “Such essential conversations are difficult because not everyone agreed or have the same experience.”

The first commission, which submitted her report in November 2023, suggested some concepts, such as an Elmbraum or cranberries, birds such as chickadees and turkey or geography such as a coast or hill. But the commission, which also granted $ 100,000, did not start for a specific recommendation.

Galvin still has to agree on his two appointments to the new Commission, which led to Comerford asked him about the committee of the committee. “We have a lot of time,” replied Galvin, noticed the upcoming meeting on March 20 and added that the idea had been “walking around” for several years and cost the state 200,000 US dollars.

After the exchange with Comerford, galvin repeated Commonwealth Beacon His view that the previous commission became a “competition among different groups that either represent or annoyed or want to be whatever”.

“The seal can obviously be updated because it was a long time ago and there are people who are offended,” said Galvin. “We shouldn't have anything that we believe that people even insulted it unintentionally if we can avoid it. Or inaccurate. And there was a long suggestion that the representation of the Indian character or the Indian character is inaccurate. These are all legitimate criticisms. Nobody supports no, don't change anything. Nobody says that. This is not the problem. The problem is if you want to replace it, with which you will replace it and what is the mission of the seal. ”

Galvin compared the comparison of the seal into a new logo. “Times change, the circumstances change,” he said.

In an interview, Comerford Galvin's comments “disrespectful and repellent” described the work of the previous commission. She pointed out that the previous commission gave a report and argued that the new commission did not “start from the front”.

She rejected Galvin's comparison of the state that changed its seal and a company that changed its logo. “This is not just a color scheme,” she said. “This applies to something that sees us all that tries to follow a new way forward on the deeply disturbing past.”

At the beginning of this week, a spokeswoman for Galvin said that the secretary was still planning to hold his first two appointments before the first meeting. She found that Galvin also appointed two employees of the previous version of the Commission. One of the previous appointments is now involved in the celebrations of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution and cannot take part in the new Commission, said the spokesman, but added that the Seal Commission should begin the meeting six months ago.

Both Comerford and Anderson, the Commissioner, remain optimistic that the Commission will develop a new seal and motto. “We have to do work and to mark the steps of over forty years to adopt the adoption of legislation in order to make the necessary changes. It is time for a flag, a seal and a motto that the residents of Massachusetts can be proud and represent the large country we live on, ”said Anderson.

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