American State Flags: The Good, The Bad, & Nebraska | National Review

American State Flags: The Good, The Bad, & Nebraska | National Review

"States with flags that require an extreme makeover might hold contests. That's what Oklahoma did nearly a century ago. Its first state flag was red, with a star in the middle that enclosed a big '46,' because Oklahoma is the 46th state. The Daughters of the American Revolution thought it looked vaguely Communist, so they sponsored a competition to replace it. The winner recommended an image of a Choctaw shield and peace pipe on a light-blue background. This proposal, formally adopted in 1925, came from a woman with a wonderful name: Louise Funk Fluke."

(It's actually an Osage shield; the only thing Choctaw on our flag is the name Oklahoma, but the Choctaws were the only tribe historically with a flag, which is why they're the only tribe to claim one of the Fourteen Flags Over Oklahoma. Here's another description of the 14 Flags, and Leonard Sullivan's explanation of why the display of the 14 Flags isn't on the state capitol grounds any more.)