Indians object to state seal

Cowabunga kimosabe............... I am of Indian ancestry and I am not offended by the image of my brother on a state flag or seal.  As far as the arm overhead.............does not look like an Indian's arm, how can you tell?

Maybe it is just one's idea of the 'arm of justice'.  This does not seem to me to be at the top of the list of

things to do or spending money on.  Please, just smoke the 'peace pipe' and 'circle the wagons'.

The seal appears on the state flag, letterhead, office buildings and Web sites. Along with the arm and sword, it depicts an Indian with a bow and an arrow pointed toward the ground.

While Peters, a member of the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe, said it's an "appropriate honoring" of Indians to have them as part of the seal, it's the arm and sword at the very top of the seal that Indians find offensive.

Gill Solomon, a member of the Massachuseuk tribe for which the state is named, called on lawmakers to remove the arm and sword completely.

"The seal of Massachusetts represents a conqueror," he said. "That's our objection."

The armored hand symbolizes leadership and the sword stands for military honor and justice, according to various military Web sites.

But regular folks who look at the seal see a sword over an Indian's head, said Rep. Byron Rushing, D-Roxbury, who is the sponsor of the bill to change it.