Indigenous Alaskans and Republicans dismayed by Trump's Denali renaming

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Guardian

Fri 24 Jan 2025 14.51 EST
Last modified on Fri 24 Jan 2025 14.57 EST


Donald Trump’s pledge to rename the highest mountain in North America has sparked backlash among some Indigenous Alaskans and Alaskan lawmakers, including Republicans. Trump reiterated his intentions to rename Denali back to Mount McKinley during his inaugural address. Barack Obama had dubbed the mountain Denali during his presidency, undoing the 1917 designation made in honor of the 25th president, William McKinley. The declaration of renaming has proved to be highly controversial.

The Koyukon, an Alaska Indigenous Athabascan group, referred to the mountain as Denali for centuries before McKinley took office or Alaska became a US state. The name was officially changed to Denali in 2015 to “recognize the sacred status of Denali to many Alaska Natives” though it is known by other names in other Indigenous Alaskan languages.

Emily Edenshaw, president and CEO of the Alaska Native Heritage Center, told EarthBeat: “Keeping this name honors that connection and recognizes the enduring contributions of Alaska Native peoples.” Alaskan lawmakers across the political spectrum have reacted negatively to Trump’s announcement.

Alaska News Source reported research that suggested that Alaskans are against changing the name back to McKinley by about a two-to-one margin, despite Alaska being a state that is overwhelmingly supportive of Republicans.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/24/trump-denali-rename-reaction

[Permanut]

1. Note to Alaska Republicans:

President Harris would not do that.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

2. People who voted for Felon47 should get used to "dismayed by Trump" headlines.

Trying to rename Denali after President McKinley, who had no connection with Alaska -- hadn't even visited it -- is a "fuck you" in the face of both the indigenous and long-time Alaskans who have fought for decades to get the mountain officially named what it was called anyway.

I doubt he can just wave his pen and rename geographic places, like "Gulf of America." Or "United States of Trump." I know that it was impossible to get a law to change the name to Denali through the senate because one of the Ohio senators would use whatever tools available to kill the bill. McKinley was an Ohioan.

The mountain was named by a gold prospector who was glad that President William McKinley signed the Gold Standard Act, which established gold as the sole basis for redeeming paper currency in the United States

[eppur_se_muova]

3. Alaskan maps, road signs, etc. do not need to follow the US lead.

If anyone wants to find their way to the mountain, they can ask for it by the right name. Only the Nat'l Park Service needs to follow orders.

In four years, they're likely to be changing it back, so why go to all that expense ?

[FakeNoose]

4. Don't blame us, we all voted for Kamala

[NYC Liberal]

5. Now he can be on that list twice, as 45 and 47.