The Newfoundland Tricolore or “Native Flag” is believed to originate in the City of St. John’s around the year 1843. Legend states that Sealers who were unable to hunt due an early spring melt, instead took up the task of delivering annual wood hauls to the City’s Anglican and Roman Catholic cathedrals. Considering the usual rivalry between the two churches in Newfoundland society, it was necessary to mark the woodpiles so that each was delivered correctly.
The Anglicans who were Protestant English settlers chose to mark their piles with the pink flag of the Natives' Society, an organization founded to protect the rights of native Newfoundlanders. In contrast, the Roman Catholics who were predominately Irish chose green banners reminiscent of Eire. When the battle of the woodpiles nearly invoked violence, Bishop Michael Fleming intervened, and persuaded the sealers to adopt a common flag. This new flag would resemble the Irish flag with pink and green separated by a white stripe symbolising peace. The white strip was taken from St. Andrew’s cross known unofficially as the flag of Scotland.
The new flag was adopted by the Natives' Society, and soon became Newfoundland's unofficial flag.
Manufacturer: N/A
SKU: NFT46P
Unit of Measure: 1
