#De Blasio thinks NYC should reexamine seal depicting Native American

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The seal of New York City as seen on the city’s flag flying above New York City Hall.
Christopher Sadowski

Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday pledged to reexamine the official seal of New York City over its depiction of a Native American in a loincloth and an early settler holding a rope with a loop on its end.

“It’s the kind of thing a commission should look at carefully and decide if it still makes sense for the 21st century,” the mayor said at his daily briefing.

The comment came in response to a question from a WCBS reporter, who asked whether de Blasio’s new “Commission on Racial Justice and Reconciliation” or another entity “is taking a look at that seal and wondering how relevant it is these days.”

The century-old emblem depicts “Sinister, an Indian of Manhattan” with two eagle feathers, clutching a bow, according to the official New York City website. He also holds up a shield alongside the colonial man, identified as Dexter, a sailor.

The rope the settler holds is identified as a plummet, a tool used to measure water depth.

“It’s an important symbol, and we should examine it,” the mayor said when asked to elaborate on his views during an appearance on NY1’s “Inside City Hall” Monday night.

“I think this symbol, you could see it different ways, but it really is worth looking at carefully.”

He added: “Look, I mean, it says 1625 right there on it.”

“It’s 2020. It’s a very different time,” de Blasio said. “We should think about all our symbols and that’s I think a healthy thing to do.”