A crowd of approximately 300 gathered Friday morning in the Lower Mall of the Capitol grounds to honor what is said to be a historic moment in Minnesota. Flags of the 11 federally recognized tribes in the state were raised for the first time at the Capitol grounds and will fly permanently at the new Tribal Flag Plaza.

State leaders such as Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan spoke alongside tribal leaders at the opening ceremony. Prayers from both Dakota and Ojibwe nations opened the gathering, followed by drums and singing as tribal representatives raised the flags.

Construction on the Tribal Flag Plaza began earlier this year as a part of the Capitol Area Architectural and Planning Board’s first phase of the Capitol Mall Design Framework.

“This new plaza is more than a physical

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