Denali or Mount McKinley? Alaska lawmakers weigh in on Trump’s name change plan.

President Donald J. Trump’s plan to return Denali, the Alaska Native name for North America’s highest peak, to its former name, Mount McKinley, has faced opposition from lawmakers in Alaska.

Shortly after being sworn in Monday, Mr. Trump surprised many in the state by announcing, “We will restore the name of a great president, William McKinley, to Mount McKinley, where it should be and where it belongs.” “.

“President McKinley made our country very rich through tariffs and talent,” he said. “He was a born businessman and he gave Teddy Roosevelt the money for many of the great things he accomplished, including the Panama Canal, which was foolishly given to the country of Panama. “

But Alaska’s two senators, Lisa Murkowsi and Dan Sullivan, both Republicans, have said they want to keep Denali National Park and Preserve as is, calling Denali the rightful name for the impressive white peaks, peaking at 20 310 feet above sea level and home to the state. Koyukon people and other Alaska Native groups.

“I prefer the name Denali which was given to this great mountain by the great patriotic Koyukon Athabascan people thousands of years ago,” Mr. Sullivan said in a video.

In a statement, Ms Murkowski said she disagreed with Mr Trump’s decision. “The name the Koyukon Athabascans of Alaska gave to North America’s highest peak, Denali, cannot be improved upon: the Great,” she said. “For years, I have advocated with Congress to restore the rightful name of this majestic mountain, to respect the First Peoples of Alaska who lived on these lands for thousands of years. This is a question that should not be revisited. »