The state that correctly matches the animal on its flag is Wyoming. The flag was adopted on January 31, 1917, following an open competition held to design the official Wyoming flag. Out of 37 submissions, Verna Keays, who won the $20 cash prize, successfully designed the flag. She developed a flag with a white bison, which is the official state mammal with a state seal at the center. Initially, the flag’s design featured a bison facing the fly as a symbol of the freedom that the bison once had to roam across the Wyoming plains. However, there was later a proposition that the direction of the bison faces the hoist.
Similarly, the bison represents the local wildlife, and the seal placed on the bison’s silhouette is meant to pay tribute to the custom of branding livestock. Furthermore, the seal depicts a miner and a cattle rancher, representing the importance of the two industries in the State. The colors of the Wyoming state flag are made of red, white, and blue. The red in the flag is a representation of the Native Americans and blood that the pioneers shed. At the same time, the blue color depicts the skies, mountains, and the State’s qualities, uprightness, fidelity, masculinity, and justice. White represents purity.
In sum, the state flag of Wyoming incorporates references to values of the State and the distinctive wildlife to create a flag that embodies every aspect of the State’s heritage. The colors and symbols are a representation of the State’s history, resources, and pride. They are symbolic of the values of Wyoming residents. Wyoming practices livestock rearing, and that bison is the main component of the wildlife shows that the State correctly matched the animal to its flag.
