Minnesota State Capitol will honor tribal nations with a Tribal Flag Plaza
Chandra Colvin
MPR News
The state's Capitol Mall will see some changes over the next decade. The Capitol Mall Design Framework aims to develop the mall into a welcoming space for more Minnesotans and to represent the state's diversity better.
'It's looking at what has the Capitol Mall been and how could it best represent Minnesotans going forward,' said Erik Cedarleaf Dahl, the executive secretary of the Capitol Area Architectural and Planning Board.
Beginning in late 2023 and continuing through last year, the planning board worked with thousands of Minnesotans across the state to gather feedback and input on what would make the Capitol Mall more welcoming.
'We want people to utilize it as a space that is comfortable and theirs, really, because it really is Minnesota's front yard,' Cedarleaf Dahl said.
The design plan includes a Tribal Flag Plaza, located in the Lower Capitol Mall. The plaza will feature flags from each of the 11 federally recognized tribes in the state. He says the board worked with tribal liaisons from the Office of Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, White Earth Nation, to coordinate meetings with tribes.
The Tribal Flag Plaza is pictured under construction on April 23, on the Capitol Mall in St. Paul, Minnesota. (Ben Hovland, MPR News)
Patina Park is the executive director for tribal state relations in the office. She is a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. Park says tribes raised the idea of having the plaza several years ago after Montana unveiled a Tribal Flag Plaza on its Capitol grounds in 2020.
'It was supported by the [planning board] that were looking at design ideas and ways to kind of make the Capitol grounds more accessible, both in access as well as inclusion of the variety and diversity of people we have here in the state,' she said.
Construction is currently underway on the flag plaza as part of the first phase of development. The initial phase also includes the planting of 171 trees, a pedestrian plaza and a street mural on Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
The Tribal Flag Plaza is part of a larger design that connects to other already existing commemorative works, like the Minnesota Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The plaza will have plantings at the base of each flagpole, which will be determined and chosen by tribes. Cedarleaf Dahl says a bench will be located nearby for visitors to sit and spend time or reflect.
Park emphasizes the importance of having the plaza and recognizing sovereign nations located in Minnesota.
The Tribal Flag Plaza is pictured under construction on April 23, on the Capitol Mall in St. Paul, Minnesota. (Ben Hovland, MPR News)
'It's not like you'll have to travel or go to the History Center or [make] an extra effort to even acknowledge that there are tribal communities here. It'll just be part of the permanent framework of the Capitol grounds,' Park said. She says the erasure and invisibility of Native people have led to many misunderstandings about who they are.
'If we just become part of the fabric of the state, it just becomes the norm,' she said.
She says learning about tribes that have been in the state will have long-lasting benefits and impact for younger generations, both Native and non-Native.
'It's this moment in time, which is exciting,' Park said. 'Future generations and Minnesotans who will come to the Capitol, it'll just be a part of their experience.'
The Tribal Flag Plaza's unveiling is expected to happen towards the beginning of summer with tribal leaders from across the state coming together at the Capitol for the occasion.
Correction (April 29, 2025): This story has been updated to correctly spell Erik Cedarleaf Dahl's name.
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