Denali had officially been named Mount McKinley in the eyes of the government since 1917, and and the debate over its name had gone on for that long—if not longer—with the Koyukon Athabascan ...

"Denali" is an Athabascan word meaning "the high one" or "the great one." A prospector in 1896 dubbed the peak "Mount McKinley" after President William McKinley, who had never been to Alaska.

Obama changed the name to Denali in 2015 to reflect the traditions of Alaska Natives as well as the preference of many Alaska residents."Denali" is an Athabascan word meaning "the high one" or "the ...