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