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Skokie presents redesigned village seal; committee cites Indigenous history and community feedback
Summary
A village seal committee presented a recommended design that replaces an older seal the committee found inaccurate and potentially stereotypical; the amendment to the corporate seal was presented for first reading and will return March 17 for second reading and adoption.
The Village of Skokie’s village seal committee presented a recommended new corporate seal Monday, outlining a multi-year review and community engagement process and explaining the design’s symbolism.
Maria Monastero Bueno, cochair of the village seal committee, opened the presentation and said the committee "began by first conducting a community survey in the summer of 2023" and that the process included artist solicitations, interviews and public engagement. Jasmine Gurnau, committee cochair and director of Native American and Indigenous Affairs at Northwestern University, said the review found the current seal "is not an accurate representation of the tribes historically from the area and in conflict with how some members of the native community would like to be represented." The committee unanimously recommended a new design that the presenters said better reflects "the history of Skokie's land, the native community, the possibilities of Skokie's future, and the richness of Skokie's multicultural community."
Design elements highlighted include a central flame representing the Potawatomi "keepers of the fire" and the Council of Three Fires (Ojibwe, Odawa and Potawatomi); broadleaf cattails to symbolize indigenous plants and the Potawatomi word for marsh (rendered in the design as Wabaskoke/Wapskoke); and a stained-glass-inspired mosaic style to evoke local public art. The committee said it updated the October 2024 draft by changing the flame coloring, widening the base of the flame, removing the date "1888" from the outer border and changing the typeface from Futura to Minion.
Patrick Degnan, the village’s communications and engagement director, reviewed implementation priorities and said the village logo remains the primary identifier for everyday village communications while the seal will be used "primarily for authoritative and ceremonial purposes." Officials noted immediate updates would include embossers and stamps for the village clerk, updated birth and death record paper, certificates of occupancy and similar authoritative uses; other items such as public safety uniform patches and the village flag will be redesigned later.
Residents at the meeting offered largely supportive public comment: several speakers praised the design and emphasized symbolic and educational value, while others urged that limited staff resources be balanced with community needs such as emergency outreach for vulnerable residents. The board noted the matter will return for second reading and adoption on March 17.
