By SCOTT MCKIE B.P.
One Feather Asst. Editor
President Donald Trump issued an executive order recently changing the name of the mountain known as Denali to Mount McKinley – a name it had from 1917 to 2015. Now, two Alaskan senators have introduced a bill to change it back.
S.573 was introduced on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025 and has been referred to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. At 20,310 feet, the mountain is the highest point in North America according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
President Donald Trump issued an executive order recently changing the name of the mountain (shown in photo) known as Denali to Mount McKinley – a name it had from 1917 to 2015. Now, two Alaskan senators have introduced a bill to change it back. (Photo by Marc Mooney/Pixabay)
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), who co-sponsored the bill with Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), said in a statement, “In Alaska, it’s Denali. Once you see it in person and take in the majesty of its size and breathe in its cold air, you can understand why the Koyukon Athabascans referred to it as ‘The Great One’. This isn’t a political issue – Alaskans from every walk of life have long been adovacting for this mountain to be recognized by its true name. That’s why today I once again introduced legislation that would officially keep this mountain’s quintessential name, ‘Denali’.”
In a press release on Jan. 24, 2025 following President Trump’s executive orders on names, the Interior Dept. stated, “In accordance with President Donald J. Trump’s recent executive order, the Department of the Interior is proud to announce the implementation of name restorations that honor the legacy of American greatness, with efforts already underway. As directed by the President, the Gulf of Mexico will now officially be known as the Gulf of America and North America’s highest peak will once again bear the name Mount McKinley. These changes reaffirm the Nation’s commitment to preserving the extraordinary heritage of the United States and ensuring that future generations of Americans celebrate the legacy of its heroes and historic assets.”
The release continued, “In 1917, the country officially honored President McKinley through the naming of North America’s highest peak. Yet after nearly a century, President Obama’s administration, in 2015, stripped the McKinley name from federal nomenclature, an affront to President McKinley’s life, his achievements, and his sacrifice. The decision to return the peak to its historical name is a meaningful recognition of President McKinley’s enduring legacy.”
The name was changed from Mount McKinley to Denali in Order No. 3337 from then-Interior Secretary Sally Jewell on Aug. 28, 2015.
The order explains, “On March 11, 1975, Governor Jay S. Hammond of the State of Alaska, in furtherance of a resolution passed by the Alaska State Legislature, formally requested that the Secretary of the Interior direct the United States Board on Geographic Names (Board) to change the name of ‘Mount McKinley’ to ‘Denali’. Denali is a local Athabascan name for the mountain, which is the highest in North America and is located entirely within Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska. The mountain was originally named after President William McKinley of Ohio, but President McKinley never visited nor did he have any significant historical connection to the mountain or to Alaska.”
State politicians in Alaska mostly agree with Sens. Murkowski and Sullivan. House Joint Resolution No. 4 was passed in the Alaskan State Legislature on Jan. 27, 2025 by a large margin (Senate – 19-0 in favor with one absent, House – 31-8 in favor).
HJR No. 4 urges “the President of the United States, the United States Secretary of the Interior, the United States Board on Geographic Names, and the members of the state’s delegation in Congress to maintain Denali as the official name for the tallest mountain in North America”.
It states in part, “The use of, and names and terms from, Athabascan languages have a rich legacy in the Interior and Canada; and traditional Indigenous names for certain geographic features, places, and communities are commonly used by local, state, and federal government agencies in the state…”
