President-elect Donald Trump has announced plans to change the name of Alaska’s Mount Denali back to Mount McKinley, reigniting a long-standing debate over the cultural and historical significance of place names.
Trump’s comments, seen as an appeal to specific political bases, have raised concerns among Alaska Native communities and other indigenous groups, who view such actions as a disregard for their cultural heritage.
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Mount Denali, the highest peak in North America, has deep cultural and spiritual significance to the Koyukon Athabaskan people, who for generations have called it “Denali,” meaning “the High.”
In 2015, the Obama administration restored the mountain’s original name, Denali, after decades of advocacy from Alaskans. The decision was celebrated in indigenous communities as a recognition of indigenous heritage and a step toward erasing history.
The move was part of a broader effort to return Native names to important landmarks, a practice seen by many tribes as an essential element of cultural revitalization.
The name “Mount McKinley” was first applied in 1896 by a prospector who chose to honor then-presidential candidate William McKinley – a man with no ties to Alaska who never visited the region. For Alaska Natives, McKinley’s name is an enduring symbol of colonization and the marginalization of Native history.
For many, the return to Mount McKinley marks a setback in ongoing efforts to recognize Indigenous peoples’ deep ties to the land. Place names are more than labels; they carry stories, histories and identities that shape the cultural landscape of a region. Changing Denali’s name to one imposed during colonization undermines progress in decolonizing these stories.
Across the U.S., Native communities have increasingly advocated for the restoration of Native names on landmarks as a way to reclaim history and promote cultural awareness. For example, the Squamish Nation successfully renamed British Columbia’s Stawamus Chief “Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Chief,” and the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes pushed for the renaming of Devils Tower in Wyoming.
Trump’s proposal may resonate with certain constituencies, but it highlights a broader cultural divide in the way America deals with its history. For Indigenous communities, preserving the Denali name means much more than a mountain: it is a fight for cultural recognition and the visibility of Indigenous peoples in a society that has often tried to erase them.
About the author: “Kaili Berg (Aleut) is a member of the Alutiiq\/Sugpiaq Nation and a shareholder in Koniag, Inc. She is a staff reporter for Native News Online and Tribal Business News. Based in Wisconsin, Berg previously reported for the Ho newspaper -Chunk Nation, Hocak Worak She originally attended nursing school, but changed her major after finding her passion in communications at Western Technical College in Lacrosse, Wisconsin.
Contact: kberg@indiancountrymedia.com
