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SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 7
IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA
THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - FIRST SESSION
BY SENATOR KAWASAKI
Introduced: 1/24/24
Referred: State Affairs
A RESOLUTION
Urging the President of the United States and the United States Secretary of the Interior 1
to maintain Denali as the official name for the tallest mountain in North America. 2
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 3
WHEREAS Denali is the traditional Koyukon Athabaskan name for the tallest 4
mountain in North America; and 5
WHEREAS the name Denali is deeply ingrained in the state's culture and identity; 6
and 7
WHEREAS residents of the state believe that the names of the geographic features in 8
the state should be determined by state residents and representatives; and 9
WHEREAS the Athabaskan people and their ancestors have lived in the Interior of 10
the state for more than 10,000 years; and 11
WHEREAS Denali, the traditional Koyukon Athabascan name, meaning "the high 12
one," was designated as the official name for North America's tallest mountain in 1975 by the 13
state; and 14
WHEREAS state lawmakers petitioned the United States Board on Geographic 15
Names to change the mountain's name to "Denali" in 1975, and, in 2015, the United States 16 34-LS0443\A
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officially adopted the name Denali for the mountain; and 1
WHEREAS residents of the state from all backgrounds and political persuasions 2
embrace Denali as the rightful name for the tallest mountain in North America; and 3
WHEREAS residents of the state take pride in the fact that people outside the state 4
also recognize Denali as the mountain's well-established name; and 5
WHEREAS both Denali National Park and the mountain are well-known and 6
established landmarks, and changing the mountain's name could cause confusion and 7
negatively affect tourism in the state; and 8
WHEREAS there were once hundreds of languages spoken by Alaska Native peoples, 9
many of which are still used by their descendants today; and 10
WHEREAS the use of, and names and terms from, Athabaskan languages have a rich 11
legacy in the Interior and Canada; and 12
WHEREAS traditional Indigenous names for certain geographic features, places, and 13
communities are commonly used by local, state, and federal government agencies in the state; 14
and 15
WHEREAS residents of the state understand that the use of Indigenous names 16
throughout the state reflects the long history, diverse cultures, traditions, and languages of the 17
state's Alaska Native peoples; and 18
WHEREAS changing the name of the mountain from Denali to Mount McKinley 19
would be costly and disrespectful to residents of the state, especially Alaska Natives peoples; 20
and 21
WHEREAS President McKinley, after whom the mountain was previously named, 22
never visited the mountain and has no significant historical connection to the mountain or to 23
the state; 24
BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature respectfully urges the President 25
of the United States and the United States Secretary of the Interior to maintain Denali as the 26
name for the tallest mountain in North America and that action to rename the mountain not be 27
taken. 28
COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Donald J. Tr
ump, President 29
of the United States; the Honorable J. D. Vance, Vice President of the United States and 30
President of the U.S. Senate; United States Secretary of the Interior; and the Honorable Lisa 31 34-LS0443\A
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Murkowski and the Honorable Dan Sullivan, U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Nick Begich, 1
U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in Congress. 2