What's in a Name? Bill Would Officially Rename Tallest Mountain in the U.S.

Devin Henry reports that a federal bill proposed by a Senate Republican to change the name of Mount McKinley to Mount Denali will not receive any opposition from the Obama Administration or the National Park Service: "Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) is pushing a bill to change the name of the 20,237-foot peak from a tribute to the nation’s 25th president to the name given to it by indigenous Alaskans and the state government." Not only is the mountain the highest point in the United States, it's also the highest in North America.

Henry reports that despite the widespread support for the bill, "Rep. Bob Gibbs (R-Ohio) introduced a bill in January affirming the name, a move that effectively blocks the U.S. Board on Geographic Names from changing it."

Henry also notes that Alaskans and indigenous tribes, especially the Athabascan people, call the mountain Denali. The Alaskan government recognized the name Denali in 1975, and Denali is also the name of the national park that includes the mountain.