Ian Brickey, ian.brickey@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Moments after taking the presidential oath of office, the White House confirmed that Donald Trump would seek to rename Denali, the tallest mountain in North America.
The Alaskan peak has traditionally been known as “Denali” for centuries, and the Alaska state government has referred to it by this traditional name since the 1970s. The federal government officially recognized Denali as the mountain’s name in 2015, a move supported by Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK).
From 1917 to 2015, federal officials designated the mountain as “Mt. McKinley,” after the 25th president, William McKinley. McKinley never visited the mountain, and has no significant historical connection to the peak nor the state of Alaska.
Under federal law, final authority for promulgating official geographic feature names lays with the U.S. Board of Geographic Names.
In response, Athan Manuel, director of Sierra Club’s Lands Protection Program, released the following statement:
“This announcement goes against the desires of Alaska Natives, Alaska's elected officials, and centuries of tradition. The Koyukon people have known this mountain as ‘Denali’ for centuries, and even the state’s elected officials oppose this attempt to rename it. It’s clear that Donald Trump is more interested in culture war stunts than addressing the concerns of the American people.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.