The Koyukon Athabaskan people have inhabited the land around this mountain for thousands of years. The name of the mountain (which is the highest peak in all of North America) in the Athabaskan people's native language is "Denali", meaning "the great one". In 1896, the name Mount McKinley was suggested as a way to increase political popularity for McKinley's presidential run; and in 1917, the name was formally adopted by the United States. Multiple attempts by the Alaskan people to rename this mountain have run into fierce opposition from Ohioan legislators who seek to preserve McKinley's legacy (who is from Ohio). Given that US presidents are already studied in almost any history class, we see it fit to honor the native people who inhabit this land by respecting their cultural heritage.
This is historical material “frozen in time”. The website is no longer updated and links to external websites and some internal pages may not work.
