Minnesota State Seal 2024

The outer circle of the seal contains 98 rectangular golden bars, representing the state’s 87 counties and the 11 federally-recognized American Indian Tribes within the border of Minnesota; Lettering of the seal is in Georgia bold font and states “The Great Seal of the State of Minnesota,” and, moving towards the center, then contains a series of blue roundels, which are decorative only; The innermost part of the circle contains several symbols representing the State of Minnesota, including: Images of wild rice, the official state grain of Minnesota; The common loon (Gavia immer), the official state bird of Minnesota, including a red eye; A white, four-pointed star representing the Star of the North, or, “L’étoile du Nord,” the state motto; The phrase “Mni Sóta Makoce,” the Dakota language term for “Land of the sky tinted water” or “Land where the waters reflect the skies.” This phrase is the source of the name of our state — Minnesota — and represents both continuity and change, in language over time. The name “Minnesota” was originally given to the Minnesota River, the longest river contained within the state, and became the state’s official name upon statehood in 1858. At the time of statehood, alternate spellings of our state’s name were used and considered, including “Minesota” and “Minasota,” among others. The phrase “Mni Sóta Makoce” is simply the original rendering of our state’s name. The phrase is in Montserrat-Variable font. Trees representing the official state tree, Norway Pine, and other natural areas of the state of Minnesota; A stylized representation of a body of water, representing Minnesota’s many lakes, rivers, and abundance of water