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U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, in a statement Thursday, said that in
Alaska, the peak is 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 advocating for this mountain to be recognized by its true
name,” she said.
The bill introduced by Murkowski is cosponsored by Alaska Sen.
Dan Sullivan, whose wife is Athabascan.
Trump on his first day in office last month signed an executive
order to rename the iconic 20,310-foot (6,190-meter) mountain in
Denali National Park and Preserve for McKinley, saying a 2015
decision by the Obama administration to recognize the peak as
Denali instead of Mount McKinley was “an affront to President
McKinley’s life, his achievements and his sacrifice.”
William McKinley, the 25th president, hailed from Ohio and never
visited Alaska, but a prospector dubbed the peak “Mount
McKinley” in 1896 — the year McKinley went on to be elected
president. The name was formally recognized by the U.S.
government until 2015, when Obama's Interior secretary, Sally
Jewell, announced the renaming of the peak to Denali "in
recognition of the traditions of Alaska Natives and the strong
support of the people of Alaska.” The state had had a
longstanding request for the mountain to be renamed Denali but
had faced opposition from Ohio lawmakers for years.
Murkowski and Sullivan earlier in 2015 introduced legislation
calling for the mountain to be designated Denali. During Trump's
first term, in 2017, the senators pushed back when Trump brought
up the idea of having the peak's name revert to Mount McKinley.
Earlier this month, the Alaska Legislature passed a resolution
urging the Trump administration to reverse course and keep the
name Denali.
J. Elizabeth Peace, a spokesperson with the U.S. Interior
Department, by email Thursday said that the agency doesn't
comment on proposed legislation. Peace said the name change to
Mount McKinley — outlined by Trump's order — was not yet
complete but was expected to be soon.
Joe Plesha, a Murkowski spokesperson, said by email Thursday the
bill would not block the order from taking effect but instead
would seek to reverse it.
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