Help Design New MA State Seal: Survey Seeks Input

BOSTON, MA — UMass Boston has opened a new survey to state residents seeking input on a possible new design for the Massachusetts state seal.

The state began exploring a possible seal change in 2020 when the Legislature authorized the creation of a special commission. In January 2021, then-governor Charlie Baker approved the creation of the Special Commission Relative to the Seal and Motto.

In May 2022, the commission voted unanimously to redesign the seal and create a new state motto. The change comes after decades of lobbying by Native Americans in Massachusetts, who say the seal represents white supremacy.

The state seal was designed more than 120 years ago and features the Latin motto "Ense Petit Placidam Sub Libertate Quietem" ("By the Sword We Seek Peace, but Peace Only Under Liberty") around the state's coat of arms. The coat of arms features a Revolutionary War soldier's arm holding a sword floating above a Native American.

"The imagery on our state seal has long been viewed by indigenous people and others as racist, symbolizing white supremacy and ethnic cleansing perpetrated against the indigenous peoples of this region," state Sen. Jason Lewis, D-Malden, said in 2021. Lewis sponsored legislation to establish the seal commission.

The survey asks residents to rate elements that might be included in a new seal, including natural features like the coastline, and plants and animals native to the state. The survey also asks for input on a possible new state motto, including what words should be in it.

You can take the Massachusetts state seal and motto survey here.