The Oklahoma state seal features five Indian tribes, with a central star showing a Caucasian and Native American shaking hands. The seal also includes state symbols such as the scissor-tailed flycatcher and the redbud tree.
Oklahoma’s state seal focuses on the five Indian nations that inhabit the region. A large five-pointed star graces the center of the seal, with each of the points displaying a seal adopted from an Indian tribe. Within the main star, an image of a Caucasian man and Native American man shaking hands symbolizes peace between cultures. Also in the center appears the state motto, Labor Omnia Vincit, which means that work conquers all.
At the top of the star appears an image of an Indian male holding a shield and bow. This represents the Native American Chickasaw Indian population. The dot on the right side of the Oklahoma state seal honors the Choctaw Nation with an image of a tomahawk, bow, and three arrows.
An image of a canoe and hunter on the lower right side of the Oklahoma state seal represents the Seminole. This point in the star also shows a lake and coast with houses and a farmer. The section dedicated to the Creek Indians is symbolized by a plow and a simple sheaf of wheat.
The last little star shows oak leaves and another star with seven individual points. These areas of the Oklahoma state seal mirror the seal used by the Cherokee Indians. The entire emblem is surrounded by the words “The Great Seal of the State of Oklahoma, 1907”, the year Oklahoma became the 46th state.
The Indian inhabitants were not always so celebrated in the state. After Oklahoma became part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, Native Americans were forced off their lands in the Indian Territories. Settlers came to Oklahoma to raise cattle or to farm and claimed large tracts of property where the Indians once lived.
In addition to the Oklahoma state seal, other state symbols include the scissor-tailed flycatcher as the state bird. Its flower is mistletoe, a parasitic plant that attaches itself to trees in the autumn and winter months. The state tree is the redbud, which grows in ditches and valleys. Indian blanket, a red flower with yellow tips, was chosen as the state’s wildflower.
Some of Oklahoma’s more unusual state symbols include the violin as a state instrument. Its state drink is milk. The state has also adopted a country and western song called “Faded Love.”
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