Flag of Oklahoma

What the Oklahoma state flag looks like

The state flag of Oklahoma has a sky blue field. In the center is a round shield made of buffalo hide, based on the shield of an Osage warrior. The shield is tan, decorated with small crosses, and seven eagle feathers hang from its lower edge. Across the front lie a calumet, or peace pipe, and an olive branch. The word OKLAHOMA is written in white capital letters beneath the shield.

The flag has a ratio of 2:3. The sky blue field is lighter than the dark navy used on many other state flags.

Oklahoma flag meaning and symbolism

The emblem blends the cultures that shaped the state. The Osage shield and the peace pipe honor the Native American nations of Oklahoma, which had many tribes moved there in the 19th century. The olive branch is the European and American symbol of peace. Together, the crossed pipe and branch show peace between Native and non-Native people, and the small crosses on the shield are said to represent stars, a Native American symbol for high ideals.

The seven eagle feathers are part of the traditional shield and are sometimes taken as a sign of courage and protection. The state motto, Labor omnia vincit, meaning "labor conquers all things", appears on the state seal and not on the flag.

History of the Oklahoma flag

Oklahoma became the 46th state in 1907. Its first flag, adopted in 1911, was a red field with a white star in the center that bore the number 46 in blue, marking the state's order of admission. The red flag was never widely loved. By the 1920s there was pressure to replace it, partly because a plain red banner was said to recall the flag of the new Soviet Union.

In the early 1920s the Daughters of the American Revolution held a contest to find a new design. The winner was Louise Fluke of Oklahoma City, and her flag was adopted by the legislature in 1925. At first the flag displayed only the shield and the pipe and branch. In 1941 the legislature added the word OKLAHOMA below the shield, because the image alone was not always recognized.

The state has made small adjustments to the details since, but the design remains. See other state designs on the U.S. state flags page, or read about Texas, Oklahoma's neighbor to the south.

Interesting facts about the Oklahoma flag

• The old flag's "46" referred to Oklahoma being the 46th state of the Union.
• The shield is modeled on an Osage design, not an invented one.
• The word OKLAHOMA was added more than fifteen years after the flag was adopted.

For the national flag, see the flag of the United States.