The Alaska Legislature passed a resolution requesting President Donald Trump to abandon his attempt to restore North America’s highest mountain to its previous name of Mount McKinley and to leave it with its approved name of Denali. Trump issued an executive order on his first day in office, renaming the mountain to its former name in honor of Ohioan President William McKinley, who never visited Alaska.
Trump defended the decision, stating, “I plan to restore the name of a great president, William McKinley, to Mount McKinley, where it should stay and where it belongs. President McKinley enriched our country incredibly with tariffs and with brains.”
Legislation shows bipartisan support for Denali
The Senate passed the resolution on Friday, 19-0, after the House passed it last week, 31-8. The resolution was cosponsored by Rep. Maxine Dibert, a Democrat and Koyukon Athabascan, whose ancestors first named the mountain “Denali,” or “the high one.”
“Denali is more than a mountain,” Dibert said in an announcement. “It’s an anchor of Alaska’s history, a testament to our rich heritage, and an honor to those who have revered this land for thousands of years.”
House Speaker Bryce Edgmon, an independent from Dillingham, also emphasized the importance of locally driven decision-making, stating, “Denali is the name of our mountain; a name of great importance to Alaska Natives and all throughout our state. It is clear from the bipartisan agreement in the legislature that Alaskans should have the authority to make this choice.”
The historical significance of the name change
The mountain had initially been named Denali by indigenous peoples long before a prospector named it Mount McKinley in 1896, in honor of then-presidential candidate McKinley. Even though the name was initially disputed, maps had already been distributed with the name McKinley, and it was officially federally recognized for over a century.
However, in 2015, the Obama administration officially returned the name to Denali, as requested by the long-held preference of Alaska Natives and most state residents. The move was widely seen as welcome in Alaska, where there had been broad support for the Indigenous name for decades.
Interior department moves forward with renaming efforts
Despite pushback from Alaska legislators, the U.S. Interior Department in late last month announced that it was taking steps to enforce President Trump’s executive order to rename the McKinley. Interior spokesperson J. Elizabeth Peace recently stated there was no additional information on the process.
Denali, at 20,310 feet (6,190 meters) in Denali National Park and Preserve, is visible as far away as hundreds of miles on clear days. To the majority of Alaskans, the name of the mountain is more than a label—it is a representation of rich history and deep connections to the region. State officials press on with the argument, strong in their belief that the name should stay Denali, as do the individuals living in Alaska.
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