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Obama Renamed the Highest Mountain in America

The Alaskan mountain will now be called by its original name, dubbed by the indigenous Athabascan people.
Image via Flickr user Cecil Sanders

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On Sunday, President Obama officially changed the name of the United States' tallest mountain. Alaska's Mount McKinley had been named after the 25th president for more than a century, but Obama used his executive power to return it to its original name, Denali, given to it by the indigenous Athabascan people.

Obama begins a three-day tour of the state this week, making him the first sitting president to visit the Alaskan arctic—an area his administration considers a "canary in the climate change coal mine," according to CNN. The mountain's name change is partially to bring attention to Alaska's indigenous people, whom the White House says are at risk from "the already-present threat of climate change."

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"This is all real," President Obama said, speaking of the Alaskan climate change effects in his weekly address. "This is happening to our fellow Americans right now."

Obama's name change was met with resistance from lawmakers in Ohio, the home state of President McKinley.

"Mount McKinley… has held the name of our nation's 25th President for over 100 years," said Ohio Republican representative Bob Gibbs. "This landmark is a testament to his countless years of service to our country."

"We must retain this national landmark's name in order to honor the legacy of this great American president and patriot," agreed Ohio Democratic representative Tim Ryan.

Regardless of the backlash in Ohio, the name change is happening, and Alaska's senator Lisa Murkowski released a video thanking Obama for "working with us to achieve this significant change to show honor, respect, and gratitude to the Athabascan people of Alaska."