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Nebraska State Symbols, Songs, and Emblems
For the latest symbols information, visit the NETSTATE CHRONICLE.
Designation |
Symbol / Emblem | Adopted | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sources...University of Nebraska: Lincoln. Nebraska State Symbols <http://snr.unl.edu/data/misc/nebraskasymbols.asp> (Accessed August 03, 2010)
|
||||||
| American folk dance | Square dance | 1997 | ||||
| Beverage | Milk | 1998 | ||||
| Ballad | "A Place Like Nebraska," by Sol Kutler | 1997 | ||||
| Baseball capital | Wakefield | 1997 | ||||
| Bird | Western meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) | 1929 | ||||
| Fish | Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) | 1997 | ||||
| Flag | Find out more... | 1925 | ||||
| Flower | Goldenrod (Solidago serotina) | 1895 | ||||
| Fossil | Mammoth (Mammuthus columbi) | 1967 | ||||
| Gem stone | Blue agate | 1967 | ||||
| Grass | Little bluestem (Andropogon scoparius) | 1969 | ||||
| Great seal | Find out more... | 1967 | ||||
| Historic Baseball Capital | St. Paul | 1997 | ||||
| Insect | Honeybee (Apis mellifica) | 1975 | ||||
| Mammal | White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) | 1981 | ||||
| Poet | William Kloefkorn, of Lincoln, was named Nebraska's first state poet by proclamation of Gov. Charles Thone on Sept. 11, 1982. | 1982 | ||||
| Poet laureate | John G. Neihardt (1881-1973), named by 1921 Nebraska Legislature. | 1921 | ||||
| River | Platte River | 1998 | ||||
| Rock | Prairie agate | 1967 | ||||
| Soft drink | Kool-Aid | 1998 | ||||
| Soil | Holdredge series | 1979 | ||||
| Song | "Beautiful Nebraska," words by Jim Fras and Guy G. Miller, music by Jim Fras | 1967 2008 |
||||
| Tree | Cottonwood (Populus deltoides) | 1972 | ||||
| Village of Lights | Cody, declared by Governor Ben Nelson on On December 11, 1997. | 1997 | ||||
Designating symbols in Nebraska
Contrary to the practices of other states, the Governor of Nebraska has been empowered to designate official state "items." In 1997, the Nebraska Unicameral Legislature granted the Governor this authority by an act of law. Section 90-119 of the Nebraska Statutes reads:
90-119. Governor; designate official state items.
The Governor may designate official state items, including animals, plants, minerals, and other things. Legislative approval of any such designation is not required. Any designation made on or prior to September 13, 1997, is not affected by this section.
Source
Laws 1997, LB 106, § 1.
Those who wish the promote a new state symbol in Nebraska might want to consider working through the office of the Governor.
Making laws in Nebraska
Nebraska is the only state that does not have a two-house (House & Senate) legislature. The Nebraska Unicameral Legislature provides a comprehensive section About the Legislature that includes information about the legislative process to help us understand how laws are made in Nebraska.
In addition to this section, the Legislature has provided a section on Student Programs including the Unicameral Youth Legislature, a four-day legislative simulation for ages 14-17 in which students take on the role of lawmakers. A complete list of Publications includes Unicam Kids: A Student Guide to the Nebraska Legislature
. Publications, in printed form, can also be ordered from the Unicameral Information Service.
Additional Information
Nebraska State Symbols: from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln, School of Natural Resources.
Nebraska State Symbols: from the Nebraska Secretary of State.
Nebraska's State Symbols:
Portion of the Nebraska Blue Book provided by the Nebraska Legislature.
Nebraska State Symbols:
Nebraska Trailblazer, No. 15 provided by the Nebraska State Historical Society, includes historical information and word search game.
Nebraska
Facts and Symbols
Emily McAuliffe
Nebraska Facts and Symbols, by Emily McAuliffe. 24 pages. Publisher: Capstone Press; Rev Upd edition (August 2003) Reading level: Grades 3-4. Interest level: Grades 3-9. Perfect for report writing! Easy-to-read text covers major Nebraska symbols such as the state flag, seal, bird, tree, flower, animal, and more. A "Fast Facts" section highlights the state's capital city, largest city, physical size, population, natural resources, farm products, and primary manufactured goods. Also included are full-page maps that introduce the concept of the map key, which is great for teaching map-reading skills.
State Names, Seals
Flags and Symbols
Benjamin F. Shearer
Barbara S. Shearer
State Names, Seals, Flags and Symbols, by Benjamin F. Shearer, Barbara S. Shearer. 544 pages. Greenwood Press; 3 Sub edition (October 30, 2001) This is one of the best, and most comprehensive, books we could find about the official state names and nicknames, mottoes, seals, flags, capitols, flowers, trees, birds, songs, and miscellaneous designations of each state. This, coupled with the 1938 Shankle book, formed the basis of our symbol library. If you're serious about your states symbols, you'll want to have this book and the one below. This book also contains information about state holidays, license plates, sports teams, universities and other trivia.
State Names, Flags, Seals, Songs, Birds, Flowers, and Other Symbols, by George Earlie Shankle. 522 pages. Reprint Services Corp; Revised edition (June 1971) Reprint of the 1938 revised edition. The first comprehensive book about our state symbols! From the preface: "This book grew out of the desire of its author to know, about his native state, a great many facts which he found exceedingly difficult to obtain. After three years of research in the Library of Congress, he is able to give to the public this storehouse of information, which could have been gathered from not library less fertile in source material..."
Visit the NETSTATE Nebraska State Book Store for additional Nebraska related books, including Nebraska Reference Books, History, Biographies and Cookbooks.
