SECRETARY OF STATE Shantel Krebs with returned original flag

Pierre – “A current employee in my administration, who had worked under former Secretary of State Chris Nelson, noticed the original state flag from 1909 was not on display within the first days of my administration in January 2015,” stated Secretary of State Shantel Krebs.
A thorough search of the Secretary of State’s office was conducted before realizing the flag was missing.
Secretary Krebs said, “I wanted to make it very clear to the people of South Dakota that an item with this historical significance would be recovered on my watch.”
This is one reason Secretary of State Shantel Krebs requested a review of the office under the previous administration by Legislative Audit. That report was released Monday to the committee members of the Government Operations and Audit Committee (GOAC) for their meeting on Friday, Oct. 30.
Once the Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) had obtained the flag, it was taken into evidence and then returned to the office of the Secretary of State.
Criminal charges fall under the Attorney General’s office, and are referred to their office.
“We are excited that the original state flag has been recovered and want to thank the Attorney General and his team for working with our office to recover such an important historical item for the state of South Dakota,” stated Secretary Krebs
Included below is the history of the State Flag from the 2011 SD Blue Book:
“In 1909 Senator Ernest May of Deadwood came into the Historical Society office. Seth Bullock wanted a state flag. May asked Doane Robinson about it and was told by Robinson that Ida Anding, now Mrs. McNeil, former operator of KGFX radio of Pierre, who was then a stenographer in the Historical offices, would design him a flag. She did. It was a blazing sun, on an azure background. May liked the design, and Senate Bill 208 was introduced. On the floor later, he moved that ‘on the reverse of the blazing sun shall appear the Great Seal of the State of South Dakota in dark blue.’ This was adopted and the bill passed. Money to buy two flags was appropriated. One went to the Secretary of State, and Seth Bullock of Camp No. 1, United Spanish Veterans of South Dakota, got the other.”
Official Pledge of the State Flag: “I pledge loyalty and support to the flag and the state of South Dakota, land of sunshine, land of infinite variety.”