Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

"McKinley" Since 1917, Alaska's Highest Peak Is Redesignated "Denali"

Posted by timothy on from the now-I'll-never-climb-mckinley dept.

NPR reports that the Alaskan mountain which has for nearly a century been known officially as Mt. McKinley will revert to the name under which it's been known for a much longer time: Denali. President Obama is to "make a public announcement of the name change in Anchorage Monday, during a three-day visit to Alaska." Interior Secretary Sally Jewell's secretarial order of August 28th declares the name change to be immediately effective, and directs the United States Board on Geographic Names "to immediately implement this name change, including changing the mountain's name in the Board's Geographic Names Information System and notifying all interested parties of the name change."

4 of 389 comments (clear)

  1. Not a new idea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Alaska has been trying to get this change done since 1975, but all the Congressfolks from Ohio have continually blocked it and/or introduced laws to try and make it permanent...for stupid Ohio-ego reasons?

    It's also worth noting that McKinley never set foot in Alaska, never did a damn thing for them, and the mountain was named after him BEFORE he was elected. It'd be like Trump buying Pike's Peak and renaming it Trump's Peak or something.

  2. Re:Since when we gave a politician so much power? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    2015 - 1977 = 38 years

    The Interior Department said the U.S. Board on Geographic Names had been deferring to Congress since 1977, and cited a 1947 law that allows the Interior Department to change names unilaterally when the board fails to act "within a reasonable time." The board shares responsibility with the Interior Department for naming such landmarks.

    http://bigstory.ap.org/article/f60262f7cb8a4363b3a38b7a035ed66b/white-house-says-mount-mckinley-be-renamed-denali

  3. Re:Let's see ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    If Obama had renamed McKinley to Mt Obama, you might have a valid argument. All he did was what the state of Alaska had been asking for for nearly 40 years.

  4. Re:ummmm by rockmuelle · · Score: 5, Informative

    Indeed. In mountaineering circles it's always been Denali as well. Pretty much every group that has a physical connection to the mountain has always called it Denali.

    -Chris