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Presidential Decrees and the Evolution of Geographic Naming in America

Shortly after assuming the presidency, Donald Trump issued an executive order emphasizing the need to honor American heritage and acknowledge historical figures who have contributed to the nation’s legacy. One of his initial actions was to direct the restoration of the name Mount McKinley to North America’s highest peak, reverting it from the Alaskan name Denali. This renaming served to commemorate William McKinley, the 25th president of the United States, while also urging the U.S. Interior Department to collaborate with Alaska Natives and other stakeholders in renaming additional landmarks that reflect local histories and cultural significances.

The U.S. Board on Geographic Names is set to play a pivotal role in this initiative. Established in 1890, this relatively obscure board comprises representatives from various federal agencies and was created to address inconsistencies and confusion regarding the naming of geographical locations, especially as westward expansion increased following the American Civil War.

Under President Benjamin Harrison, the board was formalized through an executive order aimed at eliminating naming ambiguities. Theodore Roosevelt later expanded the board’s responsibilities in 1906 to standardize geographic names across all federal documents, resulting in name changes and the designation of unnamed features. However, the board was dissolved by Franklin Roosevelt in 1934, shifting its duties to the Interior Department, only to be reinstated by Congress post-World War II.

In the Trump administration, the board will maintain a similar structure while introducing new members. Its composition includes officials from the Interior Department, the Commerce Department, the Post Office, and the Library of Congress, with even the CIA’s involvement for considerations beyond U.S. confines. Appointments are typically for two-year terms, with the board meeting monthly to address domestic naming inquiries.

The significance of a geographical name is acknowledged by the board, which underlines in its guiding principles that names serve to reflect the United States’ historical narrative and its continuous transformation. It recognizes the presence of names derived from Native American languages across the country, as well as terms from the lexicon of early explorers.

For example, the mountain known as Mount McKinley has long had different names among local Indigenous groups. For the Koyukon Athabaskans, it is referred to as “deenaalee,” meaning “the high one.” Despite never having visited Alaska, McKinley’s name was assigned to the peak in 1896 by a gold prospector who connected it to the Republican presidential candidate. McKinley became synonymous with the mountain, even after his assassination shortly into his second term, and the designation persisted for decades.

Efforts from Alaskan officials to revert the name back to Denali met with resistance until 2015, when President Barack Obama officially recognized the name for federal use after sustained advocacy from local tribes and community groups.

Mount McKinley, or Denali, is more than just a tourist destination; it holds deep cultural significance for native peoples in the area. Valerie Grussing, the executive director of the National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers, expressed that the peak is considered sacred, emphasizing the need for the name to reflect the profound connection between the Indigenous communities and the land itself.

The board has a historical precedent for making changes to names that are deemed offensive or derogatory. In the past, it responded to calls for the removal of outdated terms associated with marginalized groups. Recently, former U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland led initiatives to eliminate offensive names from numerous locations across the nation, a project she signaled would continue even in her departure remarks to department staff.

In 2023, the board agreed to change the name of Mount Evans in Colorado to Mount Blue Sky, honoring the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes’ request. This follows previous renaming efforts, such as the decision to rebrand a mountain in Phoenix to Piestewa Peak, honoring Army Spc. Lori Piestewa, the first Native American woman to die in combat while serving in the military.

A renewed campaign in Alaska is underway to reestablish Denali as the mountain’s name, but it remains uncertain if this will lead to a formal proposal before the board. Meanwhile, the Interior Department has initiated updates to the peak’s name in the federal Geographic Names Information System, albeit this change may only affect federal documentation. However, the name Denali is likely to persist in widely used commercial mapping platforms like Google Maps and Apple Maps.

Any individual, organization, or government agency has the right to propose changes to geographic names, given they submit compelling evidence and rationale. Support from local communities, geographic organizations, and historical societies plays a crucial role in this process.

According to board policy, the approval of a new name must be considered acceptable by local citizens, as well as relevant local, state, and federal entities. While the board’s influence has grown over the years, its fundamental criteria for naming geographical features have remained largely unchanged. It is also important to note that the board does not entertain derogatory names, nor does it consider proposals for living individuals or those deceased less than five years.

Once approved, names are archived in the official repository utilized by the federal government, which currently encompasses over 2.5 million geographical name records.

Source
abcnews.go.com