The first Oklahoma State Flag was adopted in 1911, four years after Oklahoma became the 46th state to join the Union. Remarkably, prior to that as many as 14 different flags flew proudly over what is now the state of Oklahoma, including the flag of Great Britain, Spain, France, Mexico, and the Choctaw Indian Nation to name a few. The flag of 1911, a white star outlined in blue with a blue “46†centered on a red field, lost popularity because it too closely resembled the symbols of Communism. So in 1924, a contest was held to come up with a new design to represent the unity of its Native American and European-American cultures. The winner of the contest (sponsored by the Daughters of the American Revolution) was Mrs. Louise Fluke, and her design featured an Osage Nation buffalo-skin shield with seven eagle feathers hanging from it. On the shield are an olive branch and a peace pipe, symbols of peace to Europeans and Native Americans, and six white crosses represent stars, symbolizing high ideals to Native American cultures. The shield is centered on a blue background, the color based on the flag carried by Choctaw soldiers during the Civil War. Mrs. Fluke’s flag was officially adopted in 1925. The state name in white letters was added to the design in 1941, and in 1988 the Oklahoma legislature added specific detail to the coloring of the flag. |
