Murkowski: “It’s Denali.”

Among the flurry of Executive Orders that President Donald Trump has signed since taking office January 20, one of the first was to restore the name of Mount McKinley.

In response to this, Senator Lisa Murkowski, who has long advocated for the mountain to officially be called “Denali,” having introduced this legislation in three previous Congresses, introduced legislation that would officially designate the mountain as Denali, the name bestowed by Alaska’s Koyukon Athabascans.

“In Alaska, it’s Denali,” Senator Murkowski said. “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. That’s why today I once again introduced legislation that would officially keep this mountain’s quintessential name, ‘Denali.’”

The bill would require that any reference in U.S. laws, maps, regulations, or other records refer to the mountain as Denali.

The mountain, which sits in the 6 million-acre Denali national park, has undergone several name changes since it was originally named after President William McKinley, the 25th President of the United States, back in 1917. In Alaska, it has been known as Denali since 1975, and in 1980, Congress changed the name of Mount McKinley National Park to Denali National Park and Preserve.

In 2015, then-President Barack Obama’s administration, in 2015, changed the McKinley name from federal nomenclature, saying that the name change "recognizes the sacred status of Denali to generations of Alaska Natives."

When President Trump announced the reverting of the name back to Mount McKinley, he said the order not only honors the former president, who was assassinated while in office, but it also recognizes his historic legacy of protecting America’s interests and generating enormous wealth for the American people.

“President McKinley championed tariffs to protect U.S. manufacturing, boost domestic production, and drive U.S. industrialization and global reach to new heights. He was tragically assassinated in an attack on our Nation’s values and our success, and he should be honored for his steadfast commitment to American greatness.”

Last week, the Alaska State Senate unanimously adopted a resolution urging the President, Secretary of the Interior, and the United States Board on Geographic Names to maintain the name Denali. The Senate adopted House Joint Resolution 4, originally introduced by State Representative Maxine Dibert, after the Alaska State House of Representatives passed the resolution.

Senator Dan Sullivan is an original cosponsor of the legislation.