In its first vote of the new legislative session, the Alaska House passed a resolution against President Donald Trump’s renaming of Denali. However, some far-right Republicans tried to weaken the resolution’s message.
House Joint Resolution 4, introduced by Fairbanks Rep. Maxine Dibert, asks the federal government to think again about the name change. This change, made by an executive order, also changed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. The resolution aims to honor what Alaskans want and the significance of the mountain’s name.
“Denali is not just a mountain,” she said during the discussion on the motion. “It’s a key part of Alaska’s history, showing our diverse culture and honoring the people who have loved this land for thousands of years.” If the federal government changes the name, it will disrespect our state’s independence. This would disrespect those who have fought to uphold Denali’s legacy and ignore the opinions of Native communities connected to this land.
Some members of the 19-member House Republican Minority said that the Legislature should be more supportive and respectful towards Trump. They suggested a change that would weaken the motion by adding praise for an executive order intended to relax regulations on resource development in Alaska.
They said that Trump’s early decisions about managing resources, which might take away some basic rights, are more important than defending the name Denali. They said that the new development would solve the state’s bigger issues in schooling and slow economic growth.
“This amendment says we appreciate you allowing us to develop our natural resources,” said far-right Rep. Sarah Vance, a Homer Republican who derailed a hearing on missing and murdered Indigenous women last year because it didn’t cover white women. “This is the first message we’ll send to the executive branch, and I hope it clearly says, ‘Thank you, and please allow us to choose the name of our beautiful mountain.'”
Some Republicans, like Rep. Kevin McCabe from Big Lake, didn’t take the worries about the name of the country’s tallest mountain very seriously.
“In the end, Alaskans will use whatever name they prefer,” he said about the name change. He mentioned talking to someone from a town who didn’t even know the name of a nearby lake, suggesting that official names aren’t very important. “It doesn’t matter.”
Dibert and other House Majority members said that even though resource development is important, it should be treated separately to keep the message clear.
The measure supported by the GOP did not pass, with a vote of 21 against and 17 in favor, following party lines. Two Republicans, Bill Elam and Will Stapp, were not present for the vote.
Republicans didn’t take the concerns about Denali seriously, but Dibert, who is Alaska Native, said it’s important to protect this well-known landmark and what it means for the state and its past.
“It’s more than just a name; it represents history, culture, and respect,” Dibert said during the final discussion.
The motion passed in the House with a vote of 28 to 10. The most conservative Republicans voted against it. No one talked about the resolution during the discussion.
The resolution is progressing quickly and was discussed earlier in the House Rules Committee. House Rules Chair Rep. Louise Stutes mentioned that it’s not about politics, but about resisting government control over Alaska. A similar measure will be discussed in the Senate State Affairs Committee on Tuesday afternoon, so the motion could be approved by the end of this week.
The Alaska House approved a motion that opposed changing the name of Denali and turned down Republican efforts to make the message less strong. This news first appeared in The Alaska Current.
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