Instead of stars and stripes, some states have chosen an animal as the dominant image. Who doesn’t love the bear and buffalo on the flags of California and Wyoming? The NFL prefers this approach, although it places its bears and buffalo in Chicago and, well, Buffalo. We could have included a loon, too, but I suppose the pejorative use of the word was a showstopper.
Utah took a different approach – a middle ground of sorts. It combined traditional geometric shapes with a beehive front and center and the Rocky Mountains in the background. It’s a bit cartoonish, but brighter and more cheerful than our flag.
Alaska fully complies with NAVA guidelines (two colors, no text, very meaningful) while having a great backstory. It was designed 97 years ago by 13-year-old Benny Benson. Benny was living in an orphanage in Seward at the time. On a deep blue background, the eight golden stars represent the Big Dipper, which points to the North Star.
As I mentioned, I don’t have strong opinions on flag designs – but NAVA members do. Every year they take a poll to vote on good and bad flags. Think of it as Rotten Tomatoes meets Betsy Ross.
One of NAVA’s top rated flags in 2022 is the flag of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, which is a mirror image of the Minnesota flag. It faces east, not west, but like our flag, it features a prominent star in a similar position. NAVA members gave it an “A.” Hopefully we won’t get written off for lack of originality.
On the other hand, NAVA has ranked Wisconsin’s flag as one of the 10 worst in our country. It features a badger (of course), a shield, a farmer, an arm and hammer, an anchor, a cornucopia, a sailor, and a yeoman. In case you forgot you’re in the Badger State, it says “Wisconsin” in big bold letters at the top and “1848” at the bottom. We hear you, Wisconsin!
