Sunday 17 July 2016

By Adam Sirvestry


The land that today makes up Oklahoma was added to the United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. Throughout the 19th century, the U.S. government relocated Indian tribes from the southeastern United States to the area, and by 1900, over 30 Indian tribes had been moved to what was originally called the Indian Territories.

The official Oklahoma flag was adopted on 2nd April 1925 by the State Legislature. The Oklahoma flag history states that the design of the current Flag was selected from a flag-designing contest organized by the Daughters of the American Revolution.

A new flag was adopted on April 2, 1925. It consisted of a blue field bearing the traditional bison-hide shield of the Osage Indians. The artist Louise Funk Fluke developed the flag based on a suggestion made by Joseph Thoburn of the Oklahoma Historical Society.

The blue background of Fluke's design symbolized loyalty and devotion, and the shield suggested the defense of the state. The shield bore small crosses, which stood for stars (as is common in Native American art), and the olive branch and calumet were included as emblems of peace for whites and Native Americans, respectively.

The Flag has its special meaning. The blue field signifies loyalty and devotion; the shield implies defensive or protective warfare when justifiable; the small crosses on the shield are the Indians' graphic sign for stars and may indicate lofty ideals or a purpose for high endeavor; the shield thus surmounted by, but always subservient to, the calumet and the olive branch, betoken a predominant love of peace by a united people.

There is a barrage of cheap and inferior Oklahoma flags being imported and sold, that do not comply with the flag statute. This is bad for a number of reasons. Imported flags are cheaply made and inferior to American-made Oklahoma flags, but more importantly, the designs, materials, colors, and methods of printing do not compare well with the better quality, longer-lasting, and correctly designed flags made by American manufacturers. The Flag Company Inc specialized in flag designs offered a special edition of decals and flags to memorize the history of Oklahoma flag for the future.




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