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South Dakota’s state emblems capture the frontier economy of the 1880s Dakota Territory. The Great Seal, designed by Dr. Joseph Ward (founder of Yankton College) and adopted in 1889, depicts a smelting furnace and mining works, a farmer plowing, cattle and corn, and a steamboat on a river — all under the motto “Under God the People Rule.” The flag, redesigned in 1992, places the seal within a golden blazing sun on a sky blue field, with the inscription “South Dakota, The Mount Rushmore State.”
| State | South Dakota (40th state, admitted 2 November 1889) |
|---|---|
| State seal | Smelting furnace, hills, farmer, cattle, corn, steamboat |
| Seal designer | Dr. Joseph Ward (Yankton College, 1885) |
| State flag | Sky blue field, seal in golden sun, Mount Rushmore State |
| Flag adopted | 1992 (replacing 1963 design) |
| Motto | “Under God the People Rule” |
| Capital | Pierre |
| Nickname | The Mount Rushmore State |
| State flower | Pasque flower (Pulsatilla patens) |
Great Seal of South Dakota — Under God the People Rule — since 1889
The left foreground shows a smelting furnace and mining equipment, with a range of hills behind. The right foreground shows a farmer at his plow, with cattle and a field of corn behind. Between them, a river carries a steamboat. The motto “Under God the People Rule” is divided between the upper and lower edges.
Designed by Dr. Joseph Ward at the 1885 Constitutional Convention. Originally reading “State of Dakota,” it was changed to “State of South Dakota” in 1889. Colors were standardized by artist Richard Cropp of Mitchell and specified by law in 1961.
Flag of South Dakota — Seal in golden sun on sky blue, 1992
A sky blue field bears the state seal surrounded by golden triangles representing the sun’s rays. The inscription “South Dakota, The Mount Rushmore State” encircles the sun in gold. The 1992 redesign replaced the earlier “Sunshine State” nickname with “Mount Rushmore State.”
Smelting furnace, farmer plowing, cattle and corn, steamboat. Motto: “Under God the People Rule.” Designed by Dr. Joseph Ward, adopted 1889.
The state motto expresses popular sovereignty under divine guidance, proposed by Dr. Ward at the 1885 Convention.
Current design 1992. Sky blue field, seal in golden sun, “The Mount Rushmore State.”
Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills features Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln. Replaced “Sunshine State” nickname in 1992.
Dr. Joseph Ward, founder of Yankton College, at the 1885 Constitutional Convention.
Last reviewed by the Emblema Mundi editorial team on 2026-06-28.