FITCHBURG — The City Council voted unanimously to support changing the Massachusetts flag and seal due to them being insensitive to Native Americans, making Fitchburg the 89th community in the commonwealth to vote for the change.
Numerous residents and guests spoke about the negative impact of the images on the flag, state motto and seal. The flag and seal portrays an indigenous person beneath an arm holding a raised sword.
The motto is: “Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem” in Latin, which translates to “By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty.” That, speakers said, alludes to the history of violence and colonization.
Speakers on Tuesday included Roaming Buffalo, a descendant of the Wabanaki people and a citizen of the Abenaki nation who spoke remotely.
“I’m urging you to take up the matter,” said Roaming Buffalo about the issue that has been under review for years. “At the very least, remove the sword hanging over the figure of the indigenous person. It is a horrible reminder of the history of these lands and what happened to many many indigenous people in the name of conquest and the doctrine of discovery. Stand with many others in the Commonwealth community who said this needs to go I’m asking on behalf of myself and all the indigenous people.”
Fitchburg High School student Diego Barahona attended the meeting to speak in favor of changing the image on the state flag, seal and symbol.
“A sword was the weapon raised against my ancestors in 1508 in Boriken, what we know as Puerto Rico. A sword was the same weapon raised against my indigenous ancestors of Kuskatan, what is known today as El Salvador,” Barahona said.
David Detmold, organizer of the petition drive, said “Massachusetts stands for education and community among all people.” He said voting to change the flag would, “send a message to the legislators, the nine senators who are all white men who said ‘this is a waste of our tax dollars, we have more important things to do.”
He added, “it’s time for a better, unifying aspirational flag that you in Fitchburg — all of us — can be proud to teach to our children.”
David Roth of Fitchburg, a longtime Human Rights Commission member noted that though the commission hadn’t formally taken up the petition, “it’s really important for the city that I grew up in and came back to serve in and raise my family in that we take a stand to protect everybody and as the symbol of our state we should not be holding a sword over anybody.”
The petition was presented by Councilor Bernard Schultz saying that the Advisory Commission has been working on this since 2024. The commission is hoping to have more Native American input on the proposed flag and seal designs.
Council President Anthony Zarrella said that when he first heard about this, his gut reaction was to be against it until he reviewed past debates. But, now, he’s supporting the resolution to send a message that Fitchburg wants a better symbol for the commonwealth. The council unanimously approved the resolution.
City Councilor At-Large Sally Cragin contributed to this article, which was posted on “Fitchburg Central” on Facebook.
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