What Is the History of the State Seal of Oklahoma?

The state seal of Oklahoma 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 showing a seal adopted by an Indian tribe. Inside the main star, an image of a Caucasian man and a Native American man shaking hands symbolizes peace between the cultures. The state motto, Labor Omnia Vincit, which means labor conquers all, also appears in the center.

At the top section of the star, an image of an Indian male holding a shield and bow appears. This represents the Chickasaw Indian population of Native Americans. The point on the right side of the state seal of Oklahoma honors the Choctaw Nation with the image of a tomahawk, bow, and three arrows.

An image of a canoe and hunter on the lower right side of the state seal of Oklahoma represents the Seminoles. This point in the star also shows a lake and shoreline with houses and a factor. The section dedicated to the Creek Indians is symbolized with a plow and a simple sheaf of wheat.

The final small star shows oak leaves and another star with seven individual points. This areas of the state seal of Oklahoma mirrors the seal used by Cherokee Indians. The entire emblem is circled by the words, “The Great Seal of the State of Oklahoma, 1907," the year Oklahoma became the 46th state.

Indian inhabitants were not always so celebrated in the state. After Oklahoma became part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, Native Americans were forced from their land onto Indian territories. Settlers traveled to Oklahoma to raise cattle or to farm, and staked claims to wide tracts of property where Indians once lived.

In addition to the state seal of Oklahoma, other state symbols include the scissor-tailed flycatcher as the state bird. Its flower is mistletoe, a parasitic plant that attaches to trees in the fall and winter months. The state tree is the redbud, which grows in ditches and valleys. The Indian blanket, a red flower with yellow tips, was chosen as the state wildflower.

Some of the more unusual state symbols of Oklahoma include the fiddle as the state instrument. Its state beverage is milk. The state also adopted a country and western song called “Faded Love.”