Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness

This Order establishes procedures for naming federal properties after “visionary and patriotic Americans.” It also immediately changes two names. One renames the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. This is a matter of international cooperation that is the federal government’s purview. The other restores Alaska’s Denali to the name it held from 1917-2015: Mount McKinley. This is also within the federal purview, because it’s a national park.

What to watch: While the federal government has the legal power to name national lands, it’s worth noting prior efforts by Alaska’s elected representatives to recognize Denali, a name they also apply to state park lands in its vicinity. It will be interesting to see if Alaska’s current elected officials likewise prefer to keep the Denali name. The order does direct the Secretary of the Interior to “work with Alaska Native entities and state and local organizations to adopt names for landmarks to honor the history and culture of the Alaskan people,” which indicates willingness to take local desires into account.

Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness – The White House

January 20, 2025