Former President Donald Trump's call to restore an Ohio president's name to North America's highest peak has stirred controversy in an unlikely place.
According to Alternet, Trump announced his intention to revert Alaska's Denali mountain back to Mount McKinley during a speech at a conservative gathering, sparking immediate pushback from Alaska's political leaders across party lines.
The controversy centers around Trump's Sunday speech at Turning Point USA in Phoenix, where he declared his plan to undo President Barack Obama's 2015 decision that officially recognized the mountain's traditional Indigenous name. Trump's reasoning focused on honoring William McKinley, the 25th president, whom he believed "deserves it" and "did a good job."
Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski led the opposition, emphasizing the significance of preserving the mountain's Indigenous heritage. Her statement reflected a broader consensus among Alaskan leaders who view this as an already settled matter. The state's political figures, including Democratic State Senator Scott Kawaski and Republican Senator Dan Sullivan, have expressed their preference for maintaining the Denali name.
The mountain's naming history reveals a complex political struggle spanning decades. The name Denali, meaning "The High One" in the Koyukon Athabascan language, holds deep cultural significance for Alaska's Indigenous peoples. In 1975, the Alaska Board of Geographic Names officially recognized Denali as the mountain's name, though federal recognition wouldn't come until 2015.
Attempts to change the federal designation faced persistent opposition from Ohio's congressional delegation, as McKinley hailed from that state. The naming dispute finally ended when Interior Secretary Sally Jewell issued an order during Obama's historic Alaska visit, which focused on climate change and Arctic issues.
The mountain received its McKinley designation in 1896 when a gold prospector commemorated McKinley's Republican presidential nomination. McKinley, notably, never visited Alaska during his lifetime. The name change to Denali represented a significant victory for Indigenous rights and cultural recognition.
Senator Lisa Murkowski emphasized the importance of respecting Alaska's Indigenous heritage, stating:
You can't improve upon the name that Alaska's Koyukon Athabascans bestowed on North America's tallest peak, Denali – the Great One. For years, I advocated in Congress to restore the rightful name for this majestic mountain to respect Alaska's first people who have lived on these lands for thousands of years. This is an issue that should not be relitigated.
The Denali name has become deeply embedded in Alaska's cultural fabric, appearing in numerous place names throughout the state. It identifies the national park surrounding the peak, various schools, businesses, and even a popular PBS Kids show celebrating Indigenous culture.
Trump's announcement included another controversial proposal regarding Arctic territories. He reiterated his interest in purchasing Greenland, a self-governing Danish territory with a predominantly Inuit population.
This proposal previously drew criticism in 2019 from Indigenous leaders, including Sara Olsvig of the Inuit Circumpolar Council, who viewed it as imperialistic.
The suggestion to purchase Greenland faced similar resistance to the Denali renaming proposal. Both issues touch on sensitive matters of Indigenous sovereignty and cultural recognition in Arctic regions.
The proposed renaming of Denali has emerged as a significant point of contention between Trump and Alaska's conservative leadership. Trump's Sunday announcement at Turning Point USA had reignited a debate that Alaskan politicians considered resolved in 2015 when the Obama administration officially recognized the mountain's Indigenous name. As this controversy develops, it highlights the ongoing tension between federal authority, state preferences, and Indigenous cultural rights in America's largest state.
