With the Massachusetts Seal, Flag, and Motto Advisory Commission nearing its deadline to forward a final recommendation to the State House by December 15, 2025, Senator Nick Collins, who serves as co-chair of the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight, is raising urgent concerns about the process. The Commission, created by the Legislature to update the state’s historic emblems and which recently concluded its statewide public hearings, released three proposed designs for the seal, flag, and motto. Senator Collins is joining Native American residents who say they have been largely excluded from meaningful participation in the process and from the resulting proposals.
In a letter submitted to the commission, Senator Collins stated his strong opposition to the most recent proposals. He argued that the attempt to remove the representation of the Native American community as a central element of the Massachusetts seal and flag is particularly troubling.
“The depth and significance of Native American history here in Massachusetts including as it relates to the early formations of our democracy cannot be whitewashed away by this Commission. So, I urge you to reject the proposals put forth and maintain the presence of our Native American community front and center on our flag and seal.”
Senator Collins also raised significant concerns about the proposed changes to the state motto, stating that it should remain in Latin. He emphasized that many of the most widely spoken languages in the Commonwealth are rooted in Latin, which he believes supports keeping the motto in its current form for the sake of inclusivity.
Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, Cape Verdean Creole, and Haitian Creole are all derived from Latin. If one of the missions is to be inclusive, having the motto be spelled out in Latin does just that. An effort to turn the motto into English would exclude many who speak English as a second language to the aforementioned six languages.”
Residents interested in participating in the ongoing process are encouraged to submit written comments directly to the Mass Seal, Flag, and Motto Commission through its website.
For more information, please visit the Massachusetts Seal, Flag, and Motto Advisory Commission.
To submit feedback, please email: massflagandsealfeedback@mass.gov