North Dakota State Flags

History of the North Dakota State Flag

The current flag of North Dakota was adopted on March 3, 1911. The flag consists of a blue field with the state seal in the center. The seal features a bald eagle, representing the United States, perched on a branch above a shield. The shield is divided into quarters, with each quarter representing one of the four main tribes of Native Americans that inhabited the area at the time of statehood: the Arikara, Hidatsa, Mandan, and Lakota Sioux. The eagle is holding an olive branch in one talon and a bundle of arrows in the other, symbolizing the desire for peace and the willingness to defend the state. The state motto, "Liberty and Union, Now and Forever, One and Inseparable," is written in a ribbon above the eagle. The flag also has the word "North Dakota" written in golden letters below the seal.