President Trump's executive order to rename North America's highest peak from Denali back to Mount McKinley has sparked concern among local residents in Denali Borough, Alaska. Mayor Chris Noel highlights that the Indigenous name Denali is preferred by the community, pointing out that no local has supported the change. Residents express frustration over Trump's disregard for their wishes and the potential negative implications of federal policies on local tourism and employment. This decision amplifies feelings of outsiders interfering in Alaskan affairs, exacerbating existing cultural tensions.
What perplexes many here is why Trump chose to thrust a mountain thousands of miles from Washington into a culture war while disregarding Alaskans' wishes.
Noel hasn't heard a single resident express support. "We prefer it to stay Denali," he said, "and we're not going to change our name."
It was just another instance of someone from Washington putting their big nose in a place that it just doesn't belong... The mountain cannot be a political pawn.
As the weeks go by, affront has turned to worry as the implications of more executive orders from afar begin to ripple across the permafrost.
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