Blood, Feathers, and Blue: Louisiana’s Pelican Reveals Its Hidden Heart
A mother pelican feeding her chicks with drops of her own blood isn’t just a dramatic image—it’s the soul of Louisiana’s state flag. This vivid scene, set against a field of blue and trimmed in gold and white, draws from a centuries-old symbol of self-sacrifice, cherished by early French settlers who saw the pelican as a living emblem of devotion. In 2010, the flag’s details were sharpened, but the message stayed: beneath the pelican, a white ribbon quietly proclaims “Union, Justice, and Confidence”—without a single comma. The pelican motif also graces the state seal, echoing Louisiana’s enduring belief in unity and care. Sometimes, the boldest stories fly just above the surface, stitched into every thread of a flag.
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