#1 - Massachusetts Flag
Whether intentional or not, the Massachusetts state flag appears to embrace the state’s colonial history with controversial imagery. The Massachusetts state flag depicts a Native American Indian with an arm and sword looming above. The latin motto across a banner at the bottom translates to “ By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty.” The sword was added to the official seal during the Revolutionary War, supposedly to represent the American liberation from British rule. However, the placement of the violent image directly above the American Indian certainly sends a different message. The flag itself has only three elements – the banner at the bottom, the seal with the man and star, and the sword at the top. As such, the relationship between the sword and the Indian is quite prominent. On the seal of the Massachusett tribes, they employ a very similar image of the American Indian. However, their seal is depicted in color, with a vibrant landscape as the background. In a