Oklahoma (U.S.)

Last modified: 2003-07-12 by rick wyatt
Keywords: oklahoma | united states | shield |
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by Mario Fabretto, 24 February 1998

• Legal Description
• Governor's Flag
• 1911-1924 Oklahoma Red Flag
• State Seal
• State Military Crest
  
  
• Jackson County

See also:

• Oklahoma State Icons
• United States of America
• States of the United States

In 1908, a star was added, representing Oklahoma, bringing the total number of stars on the U.S. flag to 46. There were thirteen stripes representing the thirteen original colonies.

In 1941 the name "OKLAHOMA" was added to the flag. Like Kansas and Illinois, that was a grave mistake since the Native American war shield on the Oklahoma flag is very distinctive and the name doesn't need to be spelled out. The flag was changed in the 1980's, this time only to change color specifications. For example, the crosses on the war shield are now dark brown instead of a lighter color.
Nick Artimovich, 31 July 1996

Oklahoma State Statutes
25-91. The banner, or flag, of the design prescribed by Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 25, Third Legislature of the State of Oklahoma shall be, and it hereby is superseded and replaced by one of the following design, towit:

A sky blue field with a circular rawhide shield of an American Indian Warrior, decorated with six painted crosses on the face thereof, the lower half of the shield to be fringed with seven pendant eagle feathers and superimposed upon the face of the shield a calumet or peace pipe, crossed at right angles by an olive branch, as illustrated by the design accompanying this resolution, and underneath said shield or design in white letters shall be placed the word "Oklahoma", and the same is hereby adopted as the official flag and banner of the State of Oklahoma.

by Joe McMillan, 26 February 2000

by Christopher Cotton, 17 April 2001

25-93.1. The flag of the Governor of the State of Oklahoma shall be forest green, bearing on each side the following:

the Great Seal of the State of Oklahoma, centered, surrounded by five equidistant white stars with one of the stars placed directly above the Great Seal; and the flag to be edged with golden fringe.

by Jaume Ollé

John Fetzer posted me a photocopy from a book flags of the United States with the 1911-1924 Oklahoma red flag. The star is white fimbriated blue with blue number 46 into the star. Before Oklahoma was the Indian Territory. probably it did not have its own flag.
Jaume Ollé

The emblem in the center of the flag is NOT the state seal. Oklahoma's state seal is a star with emblems of the American Indian tribes that were relocated to the territory before it was opened up to white settlement. The emblem on the flag, a crossed peace pipe and olive branch superimposed on an Indian war shield, is, once again, specific to the flag.
Joe McMillan, 5 February 2001

by Joe McMillan, 21 April 2000

The state military crest, which is the crest used in the coats of arms of units of the National Guard, as granted by the precursor organizations of what is now the Army Institute of Heraldry. The official Institute of Heraldry blazon is "An Indian's head with war bonnet all proper."
Joe McMillan, 21 April 2000