por He Sinaloan shield It is one of the national symbols of this Mexican state. It was created in 1958 by the Yucatecan artist Rolando Arjona Amabilis. It is a symbolic representation of the state of Sinaloa, located in the northwest of Mexico, one of the most important territories due to its high agricultural production.
Rolando Arjona Amabilis made the shield of this entity in 1958, and he was the one who also created the shield of Culiacán.
On November 17, 1958, the governor of Sinaloa, General Gabriel Leyva Velázquez, made the shield official as a legitimate representation of the state, according to Decree No. 241.
This became a state institutional representation, where transcendental elements such as historical, cultural and territorial integration are reflected.
One of the most striking features is the oval shape, which represents a pitahaya (also known as «dragon fruit»). This, in turn, is divided into 4 sections that symbolize the cities of Culiacán, El Fuerte, El Rosario and Mazatlán.
On the edge of the shield you can see some human footprints and some thorns. In the upper section you can read «Sinaloa», while in the lower section the date «1831» appears.
At the top of the shield there is an eagle with outstretched wings and on top of a teasel, with a snake in its beak. At the base of the figure you can see some lines, which resemble the roots of a leafy tree.
Meaning of the shield
The pitahaya fruit is what gives the state its name, hence its shape resembles this fruit so typical of the semi-desert areas of Mexico. The footprints around the shield symbolize the pilgrimage of the populations that passed through the state.
The legend with the date «1831» is the year in which Sinaloa was recognized as a federal entity of Mexico. The eagle is a commemoration of the State of the West, when Sinaloa and Sonora formed it between 1821 and 1831.
The shield is divided into four quarters, which indicate the four most important towns in Sinaloa: Culiacán, El Fuerte, El Rosario and Mazatlán.
In the upper left quarter you can see Culiacán. The figure of a mountain leans toward a hand with the seven-star serpent called Xiuhcóatl, or fire serpent. All of this represents Huitzilopochtli, the tutelary god of the Mexicas.
The Fort is reflected in the upper right quarter, with a tower behind which is a half moon with its points facing downwards, referring to the coat of arms of the Marquis of Montesclaros, founder of this city.
There are also some broken arrows (which mean the siege of the natives).
The flame and the rosary, in the lower left quarter, would indicate the city of El Rosario, in clear reference to the legend of its foundation.
A shackle and a drop of blood symbolize the price of freedom, and a white and green path represents freedom and hope.
In Nahuatl, Mazatlán means «place of deer», which is why this city is represented with the head of a deer, in the lower right quarter.
You can also see two islets that refer to the place called Dos Hermanos.
Likewise, the anchor alludes to the port and to the sailors who gave it the name San Juan Bautista de Mazatlán in the 16th century.
References
Coat of arms of the State of Sinaloa. Recovered from paratodomexico.com.
Meaning of the Sinaloa shield. Recovered from cobaes.galeon.com.