A Newton working group sought community perspectives in its monthslong process to reexamine and possibly replace the city’s current emblem.
The City Seal Working Group held a virtual, public meeting for Newton residents on Nov. 19 encouraging community input on the 155-year-old seal, which is currently under scrutiny for its outdated design.
The current seal depicts a scene of missionary John Eliot preaching to a group of Native Americans from the Massachusett tribe in 1646 — the words “Liberty and Union” etched above.
In August, Mayor Ruthanne Fuller put out a call for a working group to research the history behind the seal and decide whether or not to change it. The 13-person committee, which formed in late September, has held five meetings so far.
In preparation for the latest meeting, the working group posted a community feedback form to its website for residents to fill out. In their responses, community members were asked to ponder two questions: “If you were to talk about the city in three words, what would they be?” and “What would you like Newton to be known for?”
Lisa Dady, director of Historic Newton and chair of the City Seal Working Group, said they received around 40 responses through form submissions, emails, and comments from the public meeting about the emblem.
“We’re getting more folks who would like to see it changed,” Dady said.
She said some recurring community responses to the questions included mentions of Newton’s “villages,” “diversity,” “tolerance,” and “excellent education.”
Dady and Dana Hanson, director of community engagement and inclusion, moderated the meeting, and around 25 people attended, including Newton residents and working group members.
David O’Neil, a Newton resident who attended the community meeting and is in favor of the seal change, said he thinks civic symbols “can be very important and a source of pride and commonality among citizens.”
“There’s a trend of increased awareness and sensibility of the importance of indigenous peoples in New England and New England history,” O’Neil said. “I think that the seal isn’t as reflective of that — it doesn’t reflect that new awareness and sensibility and appreciation.”
For the group’s next meeting on Dec. 3, Dady said, they will likely be ready to make a decision about whether to recommend keeping the original seal or changing it. She said she anticipates the final report will be ready to present to the mayor and city council in February.
During the next few months, Dady said the working group is hoping to hear from indigenous voices, especially from members of Massachusett and Nipmuc tribes.
Another Newton resident and community meeting attendee, Nora Lester Murad, said she is also in favor of drafting a new seal and sees this as an important moment.
“I think the bigger opportunity is in the process of learning about that history and coming to terms with what it means for us today, and how can we make reparations and move forward as a diverse and unified and liberated society,” Murad said.
Newton’s efforts to modify municipal symbols to better reflect current community values comes as the state of Massachusetts and other nearby communities tackle controversies regarding their own flag and logo depictions of Native Americans.
“My fondest hope in this public process is that as many people as possible learn about the context — and that’s happening,” Dady said. “Even after the seal group is done with its work, all of the research that we’ve put together, all the connections we’ve made, and the excitement and engagement of the seal group, that will continue on.”
Jessica Huang can be reached at newtonreport@globe.com.
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