President Trump signed an executive order on Monday to rename North America's highest mountain Mount McKinley, reversing a 2015 decision that reinstated Denali, the peak's Alaska Native name.
The decision appears to reflect Trump's growing public admiration for William McKinley, the nation's 25th president. In the final months of the campaign, Trump touted support for McKinley and high tariffs, calling him “a great but underrated president.”
The name change will likely face some backlash in Alaska, where politicians and Alaska Natives alike have long preferred calling the mountain Denali. This name, given by the Koyukon Athabascan people, means “great one” or “noble one.”
McKinley was the first member of Congress to champion tariffs in the late 19th century. He also oversaw the expansion of American territory, including the forced annexation of Hawaii, as well as the empowerment of wealthy businessmen.
In 1896, as news spread that Mr. McKinley had won his first term, prospectors exploring the mountains declared that the highest peak should be named in the new president's honor. This decision was codified in 1917. (Mr. McKinley was assassinated in 1919) During the first year of his second term, he never set foot in Alaska. )
The more than 6,000-foot mountain was informally known as Denali for decades, but Alaska residents began calling for an official name change in 1975.
Lawmakers in McKinley's home state of Ohio repeatedly opposed efforts to legally change the Denali name until President Barack Obama used executive authority in 2015 to reinstate the Denali name. was.
According to the Anchorage Daily News, Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Sen. Dan Sullivan both expressed support for calling the mountain Denali.
Murkowski, chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, said in a December statement that “nothing can improve this name,” adding, “This majestic mountain is a tribute to Alaska's original inhabitants. It's an appropriate name to represent this.” on this land for thousands of years. ”
“This is an issue that should not be re-litigated,” she added.
