Labeling it offensive, the city council in Cambridge, Mass., wants to remove the Massachusetts state flag from council chambers.
The flag, which features a Native American holding a bow in his right hand and an arrow in his left, drew criticism by the Cambridge City Council, the local ABC affiliate WCVB reports.
The flag also shows the disembodied arm of Myles Standish holding a sword over the Native American’s head. Standish is known for establishing the Plymouth colony, but also for being brutal toward the Native population.
Cambridge Mayor Marc McGovern said that he is not a fan of the state seal.
“We really need to start dismantling all of this in our community and become a more inclusive community,” McGovern said.
Robin Harris, a member of the Massachusetts Ponkopoag Tribe echoed the sentiment.
“We encourage you to move in this direction so that we too can have all of our children feel a sense of belonging when they look at our flag,” Harris said.
In addition, the council voted unanimously to support state legislation looking to create a commission that would look into the removal of certain parts of the seal.
On Monday, the council in Cambridge, one of Massachusetts’ largest cities and an academic hub that is home to Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, voted to have city officials draft a ban on single-use plastic items.
Earlier this year the council voted unanimously in favor of a proposal seeking to allow people to amend their birth certificates to add a third gender option, indicating “X” instead of just male and female.
