During a speech given after the 2020 election, President-elect Donald Trump declared he would change the name of Alaska’s massive mountain from Denali back to Mount McKinley. This suggestion came after the decision under the presidency of Barack Obama to rename the mountain after years of controversy. This is why Trump wants the name restored and the story behind the name change in the first place.
At a rally in Phoenix, Arizona, Trump spoke passionately about the proposed name change, asserting that Mount McKinley should be restored to honor former President William McKinley. “McKinley was a very good, maybe a great president,” Trump said during his AmericaFest speech. He emphasized McKinley’s significance in American history, particularly regarding his economic contributions.
They took his name off Mount McKinley. That’s what they do to people. President McKinley was the president that was responsible for creating a vast sum of money. That’s one of the reasons that we’re going to bring back the name of Mount McKinley, because I think he deserves it.
The mountain in question, Denali, is the tallest peak in North America, standing at 20,310 feet in the Alaska Range. Trump’s comments highlight a broader sentiment regarding national pride and the honoring of historical figures, particularly those connected to economic prosperity.
Renaming Of Mount McKinley
Mount McKinley was named in 1896 after William McKinley by a gold prospector. The Obama administration officially changed the name in 2015; the president renamed the summit Denali, which Alaska’s native Koyukon people had used to refer to the mountain for centuries. The Koyukon language term “Denali” translates into “the high one” or “the tall one,” reflecting the mountain’s impressive size.
For example, many Alaskans as well as Native American organizations welcome the name change into Denali because it celebrates heritage and long-standing cultures, but the decision faces vehement opposition from lawmakers at the home state of Ohio representing McKinley. During one of his visits in 2015 to Alaska, Obama pushed through for official restoration of the native’s traditional name.
Why This Controversy Persists
This issue really revolves around the more significant aspect, which is deeper and based on the lines dividing the preservation of legacy because of McKinley being such a powerful figure in America, while others have put up the argument that, after all, it would be Denali because this traditional name has great value both culturally and historically.
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