Minnesota Raises Flags of 11 Sovereign Tribal Nations at Capitol

Minnesota marked a historic moment with the permanent raising of flags from all 11 federally recognized sovereign tribal nations at the new Tribal Flag Plaza on the State Capitol grounds in St. Paul. This plaza, part of the Capitol Mall Design Framework, serves as a space of recognition, respect, and partnership, reflecting the government-to-government relationship between the State of Minnesota and the tribal nations. The ceremony included prayers, drumming, and singing from Dakota and Ojibwe nations, and featured plantings sacred to each tribe at the base of their flags, symbolizing the state's diverse Indigenous heritage and ongoing efforts toward inclusion. Tribal leaders emphasized that while the past includes broken treaties and forced removals, the shared space at the Capitol represents a step toward healing and acknowledges Minnesota's history and future with its first peoples. Minnesota is only the second state, after Montana, to establish such a Tribal Flag Plaza, following a request made during the 2021 Governor’s Tribal Leaders Summit. State leaders, including Governor Tim Walz and Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan, who is a citizen of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, highlighted the significance of this moment as a powerful reminder that Minnesota's story cannot be told without recognizing its Indigenous peoples.