For 45 years Alaska has been trying to change the name of Mt. McKinley to Denali. Now that it's happening, Donald Trump has promised that he will change it back when he is elected. My question is, what happened to states rights? Maybe we should change the names of Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea to Mt. Obama and Mt. Trump.
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/donald-trump-change-denali-back-mount-mckinley/story?id=33452776#disqus_thread
The renaming in the long run is a nothing issue... It is appreciated by many members of the state and by representatives of indigenous peoples living there. It is the intent by this president that makes this situation sticky. Again, not through any formal process or encouragement of congress through the state of the union but with his magic pen. I have little doubt that this is more legacy building and ‘stickin it to the man’ kind of motivation rather than deferring to the wishes of the residents of Alaska.
ReplyDeleteThe ‘official’ naming of various geographic features is a bit of a mystery to me however. All features have names given to them by indigenous peoples and those names change over time. You do however raise a valid point... where do states fit into the official naming of features within their borders and how it is that the federal government, once again, has the final word in something as non strategic, non interstate, non welfare clause effecting as the naming of a mountain.
Diversion is everything to this administration to refocus Americans on anything other than important issues of the day.
DeleteBarack should rename it mount Michele.
DeleteVery few people in Alaska called it Mount McKinley anyway. They mostly referred to it as Denali. In 1975, Alaska officially recognized Denali as the name of the peak. If it were called Mt Roosevelt (Teddy or Frank take your pick) or Mt Woody Wilson would the right be up in arms about it? Probably not........................We bought Alaska in 1867. McKinley wasn't even President yet. Obviously it would have still been known as Denali. In 1980 the government officially changed the name of the NATIONAL PARK that surrounds it from Mt McKinley NP to Denali NP. can we move on now it really doesn't matter. Call it McKinley call it Denali it's been called both for a century already.
DeleteTwo years ago I went on a tour of Alaska which included a trip into Denali (the park, not the mountain). Everyone there called the mountain Denali, no mention of McKinley. The mountain and the park are both beautiful, a true national treasure, whatever you call them.
DeleteObama is trying to bolster his Presidential legacy as his time dwindles down. I am sure that Alaskans will think kindly of him in the future for this simple act, even if few others do. A good political move.
Delete90% of the Alaskan economy is based on oil. Obama did not meet with one single person related to the oil industry on his visit.
DeleteAnd...... They just gave Shell the OK to drill offshore Alaska.
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