Denali–Mount McKinley naming dispute facts for kids
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The tallest mountain in North America is called Denali. For many years, its name was a big topic of discussion. In 1975, the government of Alaska asked the U.S. federal government to officially change the mountain's name from "Mount McKinley" to "Denali."
A gold prospector had unofficially named it Mount McKinley in 1896. The federal government made this name official in 1917. This was to honor William McKinley, who was the President of the United States from 1897 until 1901.
The name Denali comes from the Koyukon language. The Koyukon people are Alaskan Athabaskans who live near the mountain. Their name for it, Deenaalee, means 'the high one'.
Alaska wanted the name Denali to be used officially because it was the common name in the state. However, politicians from Ohio, President McKinley's home state, blocked the change. In August 2015, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell announced the name would officially change. Soon after, President Barack Obama also announced the renaming during a visit to Alaska.
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Mountain's Old Names
Many Indigenous peoples living in the area had their own names for this huge mountain. The local Koyukon Athabaskan people called it Dinale or Denali. These people lived in the areas around the Yukon River, Tanana River, and Kuskokwim River.
To the south, the Dena'ina people used the name Dghelay Ka'a. This means "the big mountain." Sometimes it was called Doleika or Traleika.
The first European to see Denali was George Vancouver in 1794. He was exploring the Knik Arm of the Cook Inlet. He wrote about "distant stupendous mountains" in his journal. But he did not give the mountain a name.
The mountain first appeared on a map in 1839. It was drawn by Ferdinand von Wrangel. He was in charge of Russian settlements in North America. The map showed names like Tschigmit and Tenada. These were for Mount Foraker and Denali.
When Russia owned Alaska, the mountain was often called Bolshaya Gora. This means "big mountain" in Russian. The first English name was Densmore's Mountain. This was for a gold prospector named Frank Densmore. He praised the mountain in 1889. But this name was only used by a few local people.
How it Became Mount McKinley
The name "Mount McKinley" was first used by William Dickey. He was a gold prospector from New Hampshire. In June 1896, he was digging for gold in the Susitna River sands.
When he returned home, he wrote about his trip. His story was in The New York Sun newspaper in 1897. He wrote, "We named our great peak Mount McKinley." He said they named it after William McKinley of Ohio. McKinley had just been nominated to become president. This was the first news they heard after leaving the wilderness.
Many people believe the naming was political. Dickey had met many silver miners. They strongly supported William Jennings Bryan, who wanted a "silver standard" for money. Dickey disagreed with them. So, he named the mountain after McKinley, who supported the "gold standard."
In 1900, a report by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) mentioned the mountain. It said people called it Mount Allen, Mount McKinley, or Bulshaia. The report mostly used "Mount McKinley."
President McKinley was shot and died in 1901. This made many people want to honor him. So, in 1917, the federal government officially adopted the name Mount McKinley. This happened when President Woodrow Wilson signed a law. This law created the Mount McKinley National Park in Alaska.
Alaska Tries to Change the Name
People in Alaska, especially mountaineers and Alaska Natives, often called the mountain Denali. In 1975, the Alaska Board of Geographic Names changed the mountain's name to Denali. Then, the Alaska Legislature asked the United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN) to do the same. The BGN is the federal group that names places in the U.S.
However, Ohio Congressman Ralph Regula stopped the change. His district included Canton, where McKinley lived. At first, the Secretary of the Interior, Rogers Morton, also did not want the name changed.
Later, in 1977, the Board was ready to consider the name change again. But Congressman Regula got all Ohio politicians to sign a letter against it. So, no decision was made.
In 1980, President Jimmy Carter signed a new law. This law created the Denali National Park and Preserve. The old McKinley National Park became part of this larger park. The new park was named Denali. But the mountain itself kept the name Mount McKinley. Some people thought this was a fair compromise.
However, those who wanted the name Denali disagreed. They said having different names for the park and the mountain caused confusion. The Board on Geographic Names was supposed to make a ruling. But after the park law passed, they decided to wait again.
The next year, Congressman Regula found a way to block the name change. The U.S. Board on Geographic Names cannot consider a name change if a law about that name is being discussed in Congress. So, Regula started introducing a bill every two years. This bill said the name of Mount McKinley should not be changed. This stopped the Denali name change proposal.
New Efforts to Change the Name (2009-2015)
In 2009, Congressman Regula retired. This brought new interest in renaming the mountain. Alaska State Representative Scott Kawasaki introduced a resolution. It asked the U.S. Congress to rename the mountain Denali.
But politicians from Ohio, Betty Sutton and Tim Ryan, took over Regula's role. They introduced a bill that said the mountain "shall continue to be named and referred to for all purposes as Mount McKinley."
In 2015, Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski again proposed renaming the peak to Denali. The National Park Service said they had "no objection" to the name change.
Denali Becomes the Official Name
On August 30, 2015, Sally Jewell, the Secretary of the Interior, announced the mountain would be renamed Denali. She used a federal law that lets her name places. This law applies if the Board on Geographic Names does not act "within a reasonable period of time." Jewell said that 40 years was "unreasonable."
Reactions to the Name Change
Politicians from Ohio who were Republicans were not happy. John Boehner, who was the Speaker of the House, said he was "deeply disappointed." Regula, who had retired, said President Obama "thinks he is a dictator."
Donald Trump, who was running for president, called the change a "great insult to Ohio." He promised to change it back if he became president. All 13 Republican politicians from Ohio's Congress signed a letter. They said the change was "troubling" and a "political stunt."
However, not all Ohio Republicans agreed. Ohio Secretary of State Jon A. Husted said, "I wouldn't want people from Alaska telling me what things in Ohio should be. So I guess we shouldn't tell people from Alaska what they should do in their own state."
In February 2015, Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, a Republican, responded to Ohio's concerns. She said, "There's a lot of things in Ohio that are already named after McKinley. This is no insult to our former president. This is all about respecting the land and the native people of the region."
Junior Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan, also a Republican, was "gratified" by the change. Alaska Governor Bill Walker said, "Alaska's place names should reflect and respect the rich cultural history of our state. Officially recognizing the name Denali does just that."
On August 30, 2015, Senator Murkowski spoke from Denali's Ruth Glacier. She said, "For centuries, Alaskans have known this majestic mountain as the 'Great One'. Today we are honored to officially recognize the mountain as Denali. I thank the President for working with us to show honor and respect to the Athabascan people."
President Obama visited Alaska in September 2015. His visit focused on climate change. He also used the trip to announce the mountain's renaming. Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin criticized Obama's visit. She also disagreed with the name change. She said, "The name of the national park was changed to Denali some years ago. So I thought that was good enough. We could keep McKinley as the highest peak on the North American continent."
After the 2016 presidential election, President Trump and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke asked Alaska Senators Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski if they wanted to reverse the name change. The senators told Trump they did not want this to happen. So, Trump agreed not to reverse the name change.
