President Donald Trump, shortly after taking office, initiated efforts to celebrate American greatness and recognize historical contributions through executive orders. One of the first actions was renaming North America's tallest peak from Denali to Mount McKinley in honor of President William McKinley. This move aimed to acknowledge the nation's 25th president and his legacy.
The U.S. Board on Geographic Names, established in 1890, plays a crucial role in standardizing geographic names across federal agencies. Initially created by President Benjamin Harrison to address naming inconsistencies, the board was later expanded by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906 to ensure uniformity in naming conventions.
Despite being dissolved by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1934, the board was reinstated by Congress post-World War II. Under the Trump administration, the board comprises representatives from various federal agencies, including the Interior and Commerce departments, the Post Office, and the Library of Congress.
The board emphasizes the significance of geographic names in reflecting the nation's history and diversity. It recognizes the presence of Native American names and early explorers' linguistic influences in the U.S. landscape.
Mount McKinley, originally known as 'deenaalee' by the Koyukon Athabaskans, was renamed in honor of President McKinley in 1896. Decades later, efforts by Alaska Natives led to the restoration of the mountain's original name, Denali, by President Barack Obama in 2015.
The board has undertaken initiatives to eliminate derogatory names and honor historical figures. Recent examples include renaming Mount Evans to Mount Blue Sky at the request of Native American tribes and changing offensive names in Texas.
Proposals for name changes can be submitted by individuals, government agencies, tribes, or organizations, provided there is substantial evidence and community support. The board prohibits derogatory names and refrains from considering proposals involving living individuals or those deceased less than five years.
Once approved, new names are included in the federal Geographic Names Information System, which contains over 2.5 million name records used by the federal government for official maps and publications.
