Denali: Honoring Alaska’s Indigenous Heritage Amid Naming Controversy
In January 2025, President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14172, directing the federal government to revert the name of North America’s tallest peak from Denali back to Mount McKinley. This decision reversed a 2015 action by the Obama administration that had officially recognized the mountain’s traditional Koyukon Athabaskan name, Denali, meaning “The High One.”
The renaming has reignited a longstanding debate over the mountain’s identity. Alaska’s Indigenous communities and many state leaders have expressed strong opposition to the change. Senator Lisa Murkowski emphasized that Denali is the name bestowed by Alaska’s First Peoples and that the issue should not be revisited.
The mountain has been called Denali for centuries, long before it was named Mount McKinley in 1896 by a prospector honoring then-presidential candidate William McKinley, who had no direct ties to Alaska.
At Kantishna Roadhouse, located within Denali National Park and Preserve, we continue to honor and use the name Denali, reflecting our commitment to preserving and respecting Alaska’s Indigenous heritage.
Read the full article on Travel Weekly: Mount McKinley name change from Denali.