Land 'O Lakes removes Native American woman from its container after nearly 100 years

A century after its creation, Land 'O Lakes butter has finally removed the Native American "maiden" with feathers and braids from their branding.

The Grand Forks Herald reported Wednesday that a press release from President and CEO Beth Ford explained that the company is repackaging the butter as they approach their 100th anniversary next year.

The company said it plans to add images of their farmer-owners “whose milk is used to produce Land O’Lakes products,” Ford said.

“As a farmer-owned co-op, we strongly feel the need to better connect the men and women who grow our food with those who consume it,” Ford continued. “Our farmer-to-fork structure gives us a unique ability to bridge this divide."

The Native woman first appeared on the packaging in 1928 "seven years after the Minnesota Cooperative Creameries Association was founded by 320 farmers in St. Paul. Arthur C. Hanson, who was the first illustrator for the ad firm Brown and Bigelow, came up with the original design evoking rural Minnesota with a blue lake, green pine trees and a Native woman in a buckskin dress and feather headdress," the report said.

The new packaging appears on their website:

[caption id="attachment_1613403" align="aligncenter" width="466"]

Photo: Land O' Lakes[/caption]

Read the full report at The Grand Forks Herald.