Tribal Flag Plaza Construction
The Capitol Area Architectural and Planning Board (CAAPB) worked on the development of the Capitol Mall Design Framework from November 2023 – December 31, 2024. Through this process over 14,000 Minnesotans were engaged and provided feedback on how the Capitol Mall should change over the next decade. The Board heard from Minnesotans all over the State, including each of the eleven (11) federally recognized Tribes of Minnesota. As part of this process, the Board developed a recommendation for Phase 1 of the Capitol Mall Design Framework which included a Tribal Flag Plaza honoring the sovereign Tribal Nations within the borders of Minnesota.
The Capitol Mall Design Framework and proposed Phase 1 projects went through a public process seeking feedback from Minnesotans. This culminated in several Board meetings where these engagement findings and feedback were presented to the Board and discussed. The Board voted to approve the Phase 1 projects at the May 15, 2024, Board meeting. Phase 1 included a vision to implement a core tenant of the Capitol Mall Design Framework – to be more welcoming to more Minnesotans. The Department of Administration is tasked with implementing Phase 1 of the Capitol Mall Design Framework. Phase 1 includes: 171 tree plantings on the Capitol Mall; a pedestrian plaza and street mural on Rev Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard; and the Tribal Flag Plaza. The Tribal Flag Plaza is an important component of Phase 1 of the Capitol Mall Design Framework. The arc of the plaza to the south of Rev Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard is part of a larger vision of the commemorative circle that will connect visitors to Commemorative Works in the lower Mall per the objectives of the Capitol Mall Design Framework.
The Tribal Flag Plaza features flags from each of the eleven (11) federally recognized Tribes in Minnesota.