![[Flag of Clovis, New Mexico]](../images/u/us-nmclo.gif)
image by Masao Okazaki, 2 July 2019
Last modified: 2023-12-30 by rick wyatt
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image by Masao Okazaki, 2 July 2019
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The city of Clovis has informed me that it does not have a flag.
Valentin Poposki, 1 May 2009
From Eastern New Mexico News:
New flag needed!
http://www.easternnewmexiconews.com/story/2016/07/07/publishnews/officials-considering-new-city-flag/78303.html
July 7, 2016
The Clovis city commission is agreeable to the idea of a
new flag for the city. Commissioners just aren’t sure what that flag should look
like, or how they can make sure citizens have the final say on the process. The
Clovis flag, out of town for display at the New Mexico Municipal League
conference, is yellow with the city seal. The city has only one flag and it is
almost always in storage at city offices.
Designs suggested to supplant
the flag were a mix of red, yellow and sometimes blue overlays with various
graphics. Commissioners weren’t sure what to incorporate among the Zia symbol,
the state name or a Clovis point. Clovis points are projectile points first
found in Clovis in the late 1920s. They date back to the North American
Paleo-Indian period about 13,500 years ago. Should they become part of the flag,
Lansford admitted an education effort would likely be required.
New flag
not needed!
http://www.easternnewmexiconews.com/story/2016/08/04/publishnews/commission-decides-against-changes-to-city-flag/86541.html
August 4, 2016
Commission decides against changes to city flag
By an
8-0 vote Thursday, the commission opted to keep the rarely-used — and, prior to
commission discussion, largely-unknown — flag the way it is. The city’s flag is
the city seal against a yellow backdrop. A Clovis High student had approached
Mayor David Lansford earlier in the summer about possibly updating the flag, and
Lansford brought it to the commission during the July 7 meeting.
There
are two known copies of the flag. One is currently in Hobbs for the annual New
Mexico Municipal League conference. The second was discovered in a closet by
city staff and brought to the meeting for display. Commissioner Chris Bryant
addressed the matter and spoke about the seal’s importance to the community. The
seal is a Zia symbol and other smaller symbols — a handshake to represent
partnership, the Clovis High Wildcat logo, a cow head and crops to represent
agriculture, a train to represent the railroad and aircraft to represent Cannon
Air
Force Base.
Masao Okazaki, 2 July 2019
I recently read your article detailing the incorporation of what is commonly
referred to as the "Zia symbol" in the City of Clovis Flag. While your article
presents an interesting perspective on the matter, I would like to share my
concerns about the use of this symbol and the implications it carries for both
the Indigenous communities and the principles of religious freedom, even from a
Christian perspective.
Firstly, it's essential to clarify that the symbol
often identified as the "Zia symbol" is, in fact, an appropriated symbol from
the Pueblo Indigenous peoples of early New Mexico. This symbol has deep cultural
and spiritual significance to these communities. The use of this symbol in the
City of Clovis Flag without proper recognition, consultation, or permission from
these Indigenous groups is a clear case of cultural appropriation.
Moreover, the transformation of this sacred symbol into a cross, which is a
fundamental Christian religious symbol, can be seen as a misappropriation and
dilution of its original cultural and spiritual meaning. This not only
disrespects the beliefs and traditions of the Pueblo Indigenous peoples but also
risks violating their rights to their cultural and spiritual heritage.
From a Christian perspective, this issue raises concerns as well. The use of a
symbol with a distinct Indigenous spiritual origin in a Christian context can be
seen as a form of syncretism, which is the blending of different religious
beliefs and practices. While religious freedom is a cherished principle, it is
essential to approach such matters with sensitivity and respect for the beliefs
of others. Using a symbol with deep cultural and spiritual significance to
another group in a Christian context may not align with the principles of love,
respect, and understanding that Christianity often emphasizes.
In light
of these concerns, instead of stating a "Zia symbol", it should be referred to
as a cultural appropriation of a people who were wiped from the land in the name
of the Christian god. It is vital to honor and preserve the cultural and
spiritual heritage of Indigenous peoples while respecting the principles of
religious freedom and coexistence.
I appreciate your article's
contribution to this matter, and I hope that it can further raise awareness of
the importance of respecting the cultural and spiritual symbols of Indigenous
communities.
Bella Rosin, 2 November 2023
![[Municipal seal]](../images/u/us-nmclo).gif)
image located by Paul Bassinson, 13 October 2019
Source:
https://www.governmentjobs.com/AgencyPages/clovisnm/
Paul Bassinson, 13
October 2019
