#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 addition, there is a sun in place of the geometric star as well as a bird flying in the background on the opposite side of the man. These minor differences highlight many of the cultural differences between the Massachusett tribes and the colonists. Arguably one of the most important of these differences is the way in which each group regards nature. The native tribes focused on being connected to nature and viewed animals as having their own powerful spirits, which is evidenced throughout their art and rituals. 

Many of the other important cultural landmarks of the Massachuset tribes are more difficult to represent artistically. The tribes place great emphasis on intangible things like oral history, drumming rituals, or religious practices. These forms of cultural currency are passed down through communities with fewer written records than the European colonists. Due to the inaccurate representations by colonists and the silencing of native tribes, the Massachuset tribes must work even harder to record, maintain, and share their traditions and culture. In order to accurately memorialize and commemorate the first occupants of Cambridge, the tribes’ leadership and artists must be involved to encourage creative representations of these oral histories and cultural practices.