Trump pledges ditching Denali in favor of Mt. McKinley, but Alaska senators pan plan: ‘Awful idea’
President-elect Trump has stirred controversy once again by pledging to revert the name of North America’s tallest peak back to Mount McKinley, undoing former President Obama’s 2015 decision to change it to Denali, meaning “High One” or “Great One” in Koyukon Athabascan.
Speaking at a conservative conference in Phoenix, Trump highlighted that President William McKinley was a Republican who believed in tariffs, making it an insult to Ohio, where McKinley was born and raised, to change the mountain’s name. He also promised to reverse Democrats’ rebranding of southern military bases named after Confederates, like Fort Liberty in Fayetteville, North Carolina, previously named after Gen. Braxton Bragg.
Mount McKinley, standing at 20,320 feet, was first named in 1896 by gold prospector William Dickey in honor of McKinley winning the GOP presidential nomination. However, many Alaskans have embraced the name Denali, which has been used for thousands of years and holds cultural significance to the indigenous Athabascan people.
GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Sen. Dan Sullivan, both from Alaska, have expressed support for the name Denali, citing its historical and cultural importance. Sullivan has emphasized that the naming rights belong to Alaskan Natives and that the mountain should be referred to by the name they have given it.
Despite opposition from some Ohio officials, including the late Rep. Ralph Regula, who vehemently opposed the name change, there has been a growing acceptance of Denali among those who recognize the significance of honoring indigenous names and traditions.
In the midst of this debate, Trump’s pledge to rename Mount McKinley has reignited the controversy surrounding the mountain’s identity. Whether the name will be officially reverted remains to be seen, but the discussion highlights the importance of respecting and honoring the cultural heritage of indigenous communities in naming landmarks.
