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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe Denali-McKinley feud
... A prospector informally named the mountain after McKinley in the late 1800s, and the name was adopted by Congress two decades later. Gov. Jay Hammond and the Alaska Legislature first asked that the name be formally restored to Denali in 1975. The Alaska Geographic Board has recognized the name of the peak as Denali since then, putting it at odds with its official federal designation as Mt. McKinley. The national park that surrounds the mountain was renamed in 1980 by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, shifting from Mount McKinley National Park to Denali National Park and Preserve. A 40-year battle between politicians in Alaska and Ohio has been waged since the Legislature weighed in, with members of Congress from McKinleys home district repeatedly blocking efforts to restore the name Denali ...... The latest bill to change the mountains name was proposed by Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan earlier this year. The Obama administration said in July that it would not block the name change ... A bill was proposed by Ohio Rep. Bob Gibbs in January that would have prevented a name change ...
... Changing the name has often been a bipartisan legislative priority among Alaskas congressional delegation. Lisa Murkowski (R), the states senior senator and chairwoman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, which is responsible for the matter, has sponsored legislation in every session of Congress to do so since taking her seat. She hosted hearing on the bill earlier this year, at which a top National Park Service official said the Obama administration had no objection to the change ...
... Every year, the same story plays out in Washington, D.C.: Alaska legislators sometimes file bills to change the name from Mount McKinley to Denali, and every year, someone in the Ohio congressional delegation -- the home state of the 25th President William McKinley -- files legislation to block a name change ... "Id like to thank the president for working with us to achieve this significant change to show honor, respect, and gratitude to the Athabascan people of Alaska, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said in a video statement recorded on the Ruth Glacier below the mountain. Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, said in an email that "Denali belongs to Alaska and its citizens. The naming rights already went to ancestors of the Alaska Native people, like those of my wifes family. For decades, Alaskans and members of our congressional delegation have been fighting for Denali to be recognized by the federal government by its true name. Im gratified that the president respected this ...
... The Obama administration's action breaks a 40-year impasse over the name of the mountain. Alaska has been petitioning for a name change since 1975, but a bipartisan effort by Ohio's congressional delegation has blocked the effort by introducing bills requiring it to be named after McKinley, who was born in Niles, Ohio and buried in Canton. And for years, just introducing the bills was enough to block a name change. That's because the United States Board on Geographic Names has a long-standing policy of not making name changes under consideration by Congress. "While the board does have a policy of deferring action when a matter is being considered by Congress, contradictory bills on this issue have been proposed by various members of Congress since the late 1970s," Jewell said in her order. A 1947 law gives the secretary the authority to change names on her own when the board does not act in a reasonable time ...
HassleCat
(6,409 posts)From an AP article by Josh Lederman:
Obama's move to strip the mountain of its name honoring former President William McKinley drew loud condemnations from Ohio lawmakers, including Republican Rep. Bob Gibbs, who said he planned to work with his colleagues to see what they could do to stop it.
"This political stunt is insulting to all Ohioans, and I will be working with the House Committee on Natural Resources to determine what can be done to prevent this action," Gibbs said.
Sometimes politicians jut don't know how ironic they are. Here is a guy complaining about a political stunt when he is pulling a huge political stunt. Lederman's article pretty much blames Obama for the name change, without giving any real explanation.
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/alaska-bound-obama-faces-backlash-on-mt-mckinley-renaming/ar-AAdMsM7?ocid=iehp
hifiguy
(33,688 posts)a plausible,it petty, beef. It's in freaking ALASKA.
roguevalley
(40,656 posts)so they should butt out. We changed the name in 1975 and wanted the feds to do the same.
Blue_In_AK
(46,436 posts)Serpent Mound in Ohio be named Ted Stevens Mound. LOL.
Glassunion
(10,201 posts)the Iroquois' word for "great river".
struggle4progress
(118,379 posts)yeoman6987
(14,449 posts)Something after him there. What did McKinley have to do with Alaska besides being president?
loyalsister
(13,390 posts)This is truly a dumb controversy.
It's just another excuse to oppose the president. I suspect there are plenty of Ohio landmarks, buildings, roads, etc. named after McKinley.
Good for pres. Obama for honoring the people who are actually affected. Symbolically returning some land to Native Americans is a meaningful show of respect.
Glassunion
(10,201 posts)struggle4progress
(118,379 posts)louis-t
(23,309 posts)when it was named after McKinley.
AngryAmish
(25,704 posts)CreekDog
(46,192 posts)AngryAmish
(25,704 posts)They only put the 50th star on the flag to even things out.
CreekDog
(46,192 posts)roguevalley
(40,656 posts)AngryAmish
(25,704 posts)I bet you even believe it when someone says they are from Alaska.
Don't go to Australia. The drop bears will get you.
Renew Deal
(81,889 posts)Best DU argument ever.
Response to Renew Deal (Reply #27)
AngryAmish This message was self-deleted by its author.
louis-t
(23,309 posts)Glassunion
(10,201 posts)It derived its name from the Aleut word "aláxsxaq"
AngryAmish
(25,704 posts)Glassunion
(10,201 posts)Matariki
(18,775 posts)hifiguy
(33,688 posts)This bear is disappoint:
See:http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026990392
roguevalley
(40,656 posts)The bears, they like to party!
Glassunion
(10,201 posts)rename another after a Toyota.
I think we should rename Mount Foraker to Escalade.
hifiguy
(33,688 posts)That hideous Escalade vehicle does not deserve a mountain! That thing IS a mountain already when it's riding my bumper and I'm looking at its grill hoping he doesn't just run right over me because I'm not doing twice the speed limit. In a parking lot.
cherokeeprogressive
(24,853 posts)It's three words on a map. The people who matter have always called it what they wanted to call it.
olddots
(10,237 posts)Trump Luxury High Rise Plaza
CBGLuthier
(12,723 posts)to Denali instead of that of a dead president.