Alaska Senate Bill SJR7

Alaska 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/24/25
• Refer: 1/24/25

Caption

Res. To Maintain Denali As Official Name

Summary

SJR 7 is a Senate Joint Resolution urging the President of the United States and the U.S. Secretary of the Interior to keep Denali as the official name of North America’s tallest mountain and to avoid any action to rename it. The resolution states that Denali is the traditional Koyukon Athabaskan name, meaning “the high one,” and emphasizes that the name is deeply tied to Alaska’s culture, identity, and Indigenous heritage. The resolution recounts Alaska’s prior actions in support of the name Denali, including the state’s 1975 designation and the federal government’s 2015 adoption of Denali as the mountain’s official name. It also argues that the name is widely recognized, that changing it would create confusion and harm tourism, and that reverting to Mount McKinley would be costly and disrespectful, particularly to Alaska Native peoples. The measure is a formal expression of legislative sentiment rather than a change to state statutory law.

Impact

SJR 7 does not amend Alaska statutes or create new legal requirements; instead, it is a nonbinding legislative memorial directed at federal officials. Its practical effect is to place the Alaska Legislature on record opposing any federal renaming of Denali and to communicate that position to the President, the Secretary of the Interior, and Alaska’s congressional delegation. The resolution is aimed at preserving the current official geographic name and reinforcing state support for Indigenous place names and existing federal recognition of Denali.

Sentiment

The bill appears strongly supportive of keeping the name Denali, with the resolution language reflecting broad pride in the name across political and cultural lines. The tone is affirmative, protective of Alaska Native heritage, and concerned with maintaining continuity and recognition of a long-established name. No committee transcript or vote record was provided, so there is no recorded legislative debate or roll-call sentiment beyond the resolution’s own findings.

Contention

The main point of contention is the possibility of renaming the mountain to Mount McKinley, which the resolution opposes. Supporters of SJR 7 argue that Denali is the historically and culturally appropriate name, that it reflects Indigenous heritage, and that changing it would be disrespectful and potentially harmful to tourism and public recognition. The resolution also implicitly rejects the relevance of President McKinley’s historical connection to the mountain, noting that he never visited Alaska and had no significant connection to it.