Flag of Oklahoma
Encyclopedia
The flag
of the state of Oklahoma consists of a traditional Osage Nation
buffalo-skin
shield with seven eagle
feathers on a sky blue field
.
The Osage shield is covered by two symbols of peace: the calumet
representing Native Americans
, and the olive branch
representing European Americans. Six golden brown crosses, Native American symbols for stars, are spaced on the shield. The blue field represents the first official flag flown by any Native American Nation, the Choctaw
flag of the American Civil War
.
"I salute the Flag of the State of Oklahoma: Its symbols of peace unite all people."
was adopted in 1911, four years after statehood. Taking the colors red, white, and blue from the flag of the United States
, the flag featured a large centered white star fimbriated
in blue on a red field. The number 46
was written in blue inside the star, as Oklahoma
was the forty-sixth state to join the Union
.
A contest, sponsored by the Daughters of the American Revolution
, was held in 1924 to replace the flag, as red flag
s were closely associated with communism
. The winning entry by Louise Fluke
, which was adopted as the state flag on April 2, 1925, resembled the current flag without the word Oklahoma on it. The colors and shapes were standardized by Oklahoma Senate Bill 1359 and signed into law by Governor Brad Henry
on May 23, 2006.
consists of a forest green field, fringed in gold, charged with the state seal
surrounded by a pentagram of five white stars.
Flag
A flag is a piece of fabric with a distinctive design that is usually rectangular and used as a symbol, as a signaling device, or decoration. The term flag is also used to refer to the graphic design employed by a flag, or to its depiction in another medium.The first flags were used to assist...
of the state of Oklahoma consists of a traditional Osage Nation
Osage Nation
The Osage Nation is a Native American Siouan-language tribe in the United States that originated in the Ohio River valley in present-day Kentucky. After years of war with invading Iroquois, the Osage migrated west of the Mississippi River to their historic lands in present-day Arkansas, Missouri,...
buffalo-skin
American Bison
The American bison , also commonly known as the American buffalo, is a North American species of bison that once roamed the grasslands of North America in massive herds...
shield with seven eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
feathers on a sky blue field
Flag terminology
Flag terminology is a jargon used in vexillology, the study of flags, to describe precisely the parts, patterns, and other attributes of flags and their display.-Description of standard flag parts and terms:...
.
Symbolism
Calumet (pipe)
A Calumet is a ceremonial smoking pipe used by some Native American Nations. Traditionally it has been smoked to seal a covenant or treaty, or to offer prayers in a religious ceremony.- Etymology :...
representing Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, and the olive branch
Olive branch
The olive branch in Western culture, derived from the customs of Ancient Greece, symbolizes peace or victory and was worn by brides.-Ancient Greece and Rome:...
representing European Americans. Six golden brown crosses, Native American symbols for stars, are spaced on the shield. The blue field represents the first official flag flown by any Native American Nation, the Choctaw
Choctaw
The Choctaw are a Native American people originally from the Southeastern United States...
flag of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Salute
The state legislature adopted the following salute to the flag in 1982:"I salute the Flag of the State of Oklahoma: Its symbols of peace unite all people."
History
Oklahoma's first flagFlag
A flag is a piece of fabric with a distinctive design that is usually rectangular and used as a symbol, as a signaling device, or decoration. The term flag is also used to refer to the graphic design employed by a flag, or to its depiction in another medium.The first flags were used to assist...
was adopted in 1911, four years after statehood. Taking the colors red, white, and blue from the flag of the United States
Flag of the United States
The national flag of the United States of America consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the canton bearing fifty small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars alternating with rows...
, the flag featured a large centered white star fimbriated
Fimbriation
In heraldry and vexillology, fimbriation refers to small stripes of colour placed around common charges or ordinaries, usually in order for them to stand out from the background, but perhaps just because the designer felt it looked better, or for a more technical reason to avoid what would...
in blue on a red field. The number 46
46 (number)
46 is the natural number following 45 and preceding 47.- In mathematics :Forty-six is a Wedderburn-Etherington number, an enneagonal number and a centered triangular number. It is the sum of the totient function for the first twelve integers. 46 is the largest even integer that can't be expressed...
was written in blue inside the star, as Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
was the forty-sixth state to join the Union
Union
Union may refer to:* Trade union or labor union, an organization of workers that have banded together, often for the purpose of getting better working conditions or pay...
.
A contest, sponsored by the Daughters of the American Revolution
Daughters of the American Revolution
The Daughters of the American Revolution is a lineage-based membership organization for women who are descended from a person involved in United States' independence....
, was held in 1924 to replace the flag, as red flag
Red flag
In politics, a red flag is a symbol of Socialism, or Communism, or sometimes left-wing politics in general. It has been associated with left-wing politics since the French Revolution. Socialists adopted the symbol during the Revolutions of 1848 and it became a symbol of communism as a result of its...
s were closely associated with communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
. The winning entry by Louise Fluke
Louise Fluke
Louise Fluke was born in Van Buren, Arkansas, and moved to Shawnee, Oklahoma with her family a year later. As a young girl she received art lessons. As she became older, she continued her art lessons at Columbia University and the Chicago Art Institute...
, which was adopted as the state flag on April 2, 1925, resembled the current flag without the word Oklahoma on it. The colors and shapes were standardized by Oklahoma Senate Bill 1359 and signed into law by Governor Brad Henry
Brad Henry
Charles Bradford "Brad" Henry was the 26th Governor of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected governor in 2002...
on May 23, 2006.
Flag of the Governor
According to a statute adopted in 1957, the flag of the governor of OklahomaGovernor of Oklahoma
The governor of the state of Oklahoma is the head of state for the state of Oklahoma, United States. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma...
consists of a forest green field, fringed in gold, charged with the state seal
Seal of Oklahoma
The Great Seal of the State of Oklahoma consists of a five-pointed star in a circle.The seal itself contains six seals:*The center of the star contains the Seal of the original Territory of Oklahoma. The seal contains the words “Labor Omnia Vincit” meaning “Labor Conquers All Things.” Columbia is...
surrounded by a pentagram of five white stars.
See also
- State of Oklahoma
- Symbols of the state of Oklahoma
- Great Seal of the state of Oklahoma
- Symbols of the state of Oklahoma
Further reading
- Hickam, Mrs. Andrew R., "The State Flag of Oklahoma", Chronicles of Oklahoma, Vol. 9, No. 1 (March, 1931), pp. 10–11. (Online copy).