This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Denali is just the name of a mountain in Alaska.

"On Sunday, the Obama administration announced that the peak formerly known as Mount McKinley will henceforth be known as 'Denali,' its traditional Native Alaskan name.

"The mountain was officially named after President William McKinley in 1917, a gesture originally proposed by an Alaska gold prospector in recognition of McKinley's support for the gold standard.

"The Denali name is widely supported by Alaskans regardless of ethnicity. ..."

Time for Ohioans to get over Mount McKinley — Bloomberg View / sltrib.com

"House Speaker John Boehner believes the federal government should allow states greater freedom to govern themselves. Except when it comes to naming their mountains. ..."

Mount McKinley is conservatives' newest molehill — Dana Milbank | The Washington Post / sltrib.com

" ... Obama went to the very top this weekend — to 20,320 feet to be exact — and stripped North America's highest peak of its official name of the last century, Mount McKinley, returning it to what Alaskans had called it for centuries: Denali, or Great One.

"Obama's opponents immediately condemned him for acting like a dictator, taking unconstitutional action, overstepping his authority, engaging in a partisan stunt and, of course, exhibiting racial animus. President William McKinley, after all, was a white guy. And, um, the mountain itself is mostly white. ..."

At long last, Denali restored — Fairbanks News-Miner Editorial

" ... In 1975, Alaska's opposition to the Outside name applied to the state's most iconic mountain became official. The Alaska Geographic Society, Gov. Jay Hammond and the Legislature called on the U.S. Geological Survey to restore Denali's name. What followed was a four-decade battle between states that few could have anticipated. ..."

Honor McKinley with Navy ship — Cincinnati Enquirer Editorial

" ... Hail, Denali. Now let's find a new way to properly honor a president and native son who meant much to Ohio and the history of the United States."

Let Alaska have its mountain — Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch Editorial

" ... The name change makes sense. Besides gracing maps and textbooks for 120 years, the name McKinley had no real connection to or claim on the mountain, which has been called Denali by the locals for more than 10,000 years. Ohioans should graciously accept the name change, though it would be equally gracious of the president to see that McKinley's name stays in the park in some significant way."

Ohio politicians should butt out of Mount McKinley-Denali debate — Mark Naymik | Cleveland Plain Dealer

" ... Many of Alaska's top politicians have been trying for decades to reclaim the Denali name. They got the park renamed in 1980, but not the mountain. That's because Ohio's political forces blocked such efforts, claiming that changing the name would dishonor McKinley. But his name never belonged there in the first place. (And if Ohio politicians cared so much about McKinley's legacy, why not name something bigger than a high school in Ohio after the guy?) ..."