This week I came across a flag I didn’t know, hanging in front of a house in the neighborhood. A white field with three alternating red fields expanding from the center blue circle with the Zia symbol in white. A search for flags with a Zia symbol didn’t bear any fruit, so I took a photo and made an image search. I discovered that it is the flag of Wichita, Kansas:

Wichita’s official city flag was adopted in 1937. Designed by a local artist from South Wichita, Cecil McAlister, it represents freedom, happiness, contentment and home. The blue sun in the center represents happiness and contentment. The Zia symbol for permanent ‘home’ is stitched on the blue sun. The three red and white rays that alternate from the off-center blue sun represent the path of freedom to come and go as one pleases
Flag of Wichita, Kansas – Wikipedia

I admit didn’t get a sense of home and the path of freedom from looking at the flag and was worried what it might represent. For me the flag has a slightly sinister look.

Then I came across this article, from 2019, by a TV station in Albuquerque.

People in Albuquerque, however, believe the artist simply tweaked our Zia and took credit for the work.

KRQE News 13 did ask Wichita Tourism officials if they suspect the artist ripped off the Zia Symbol back in the ’30s, but they chose to ignore that question.

Now, the Zia Pueblo says it’s looking into the creation.
Stolen symbol? Wichita uses Zia look-alike on city flag | KRQE News 13

This bears interesting similarity to the English flag copying the design of the flag of Genoa – link to my post. Perhaps the lesson to be learned is to never trust a flag?