Posted on 01/26/2025 5:50:12 AM PST by DoodleBob
President Donald Trump’s executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska’s Denali, the tallest peak in the country, has resulted in lots of discussion. While for some, such renaming might seem less important than the big problems the country faces, there is a formal process in the United States for renaming places, and that process is taken seriously.
Usually, so people don’t get confused, official, agreed-upon names are used by the government. In the U.S., place names are standardized by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, which is part of the U.S. Geological Survey, the agency in charge of making maps.
In his executive order, Trump asks the Board on Geographic Names “to honor the contributions of visionary and patriotic Americans” and change its policies and procedures to reflect that.
Usually, renaming a place starts locally. The people in the state or county propose a name change and gather support. The process in each state is different.
Minnesota recently changed the name of a large lake in Minneapolis to Bde Maka Ska, which the Minneapolis Park Board described as “a Dakota name for the lake that has been passed down in oral history for many years.”
The board voted to change the name and took its request to the county commissioners. When the county agreed, the request was then sent to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, which made it official for Minnesota. Then, the state of Minnesota sent the request to the Board on Geographic Names, which made it official for the entire U.S.
It’s a lot of paperwork for something so seemingly minor, but people get passionate about place names. It took 40 years to rename Denali from the name established in the late 19th century, Mount McKinley.
The state of Alaska requested the name change in 1975, but the Board on Geographic Names didn’t take action. Members of the Ohio congressional delegation – President William McKinley was from Ohio – objected over many years to requests to rename the mountain, and the board did not act on those requests.
The president appoints the secretary of the Interior Department. The secretary works with the heads of related agencies to appoint the Board on Geographic Names. Current committee policy states, “Input from State geographic names authorities, land management agencies, local governments, and Tribal Governments are actively pursued.”
In 2015, President Barack Obama named a new leader for the Department of the Interior, Sally Jewell. Just as Obama made a trip to Alaska in late August 2015, Jewell declared the name change official under a law that allows the secretary of the Interior to change a name if the board doesn’t act on the proposal in a “reasonable” amount of time.
“This name change recognizes the sacred status of Denali to many Alaska Natives,” Jewell said. “The name Denali has been official for use by the State of Alaska since 1975, but even more importantly, the mountain has been known as Denali for generations. With our own sense of reverence for this place, we are officially renaming the mountain Denali in recognition of the traditions of Alaska Natives and the strong support of the people of Alaska.”
If someone objects to a name change, they could ask the courts to rule on whether the name change was made legally. Going back to Bde Maka Ska, some people objected to changing the name from Lake Calhoun, so they took the state natural resources agency to court. Eventually, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that the name change was done correctly.
Alaska’s two U.S. senators and prominent state figures have strongly objected to Trump’s renaming attempt.
Renaming the Gulf of Mexico is a different kind of case, however, from renaming a geographic place within U.S. borders.
The gulf is not within the territorial U.S. On the coast, the first 12 miles from shore are considered part of that country, but outside of that is international waters.
The Board on Geographic Names could change the name to Gulf of America on official U.S. maps, but there is no international board in charge of place names. Each country decides what to call places. And there is no official way for the U.S. to make other countries change the name.
It’s possible that the U.S. could formally ask other countries to change the name, or even impose sanctions against countries that don’t comply.
If the names were officially changed in the U.S., the government would use the new names in official documents, signage and maps. As for all the people and companies in the world that make maps, they usually use the official names. But there is nothing that would force them to, if they believed that a certain name is more widely recognized.
On Jan. 24, 2025, the U.S. Department of the Interior issued a statement on the name changes:
“In accordance with President Donald J. Trump’s recent executive order, the Department of the Interior is proud to announce the implementation of name restorations that honor the legacy of American greatness, with efforts already underway.
"As directed by the President, the Gulf of Mexico will now officially be known as the Gulf of America and North America’s highest peak will once again bear the name Mount McKinley….The U.S. Board on Geographic Names, under the purview of the Department of the Interior, is working expeditiously to update the official federal nomenclature in the Geographic Names Information System to reflect these changes, effective immediately for federal use.”
Every so often, I reveal how old I am! ;-)
I wonder if we are inventing AI, or preparing ourselves to be replaced by it.
Hahahahahaha! I know that lake!
I saw an unbelievable Beatles tribute band “BeatleJuice” at a drinking hole on the shore of it one time! Their lead vocalist was Brad Delph formerly of the band “Boston”.
I was just going to post the same thing!
Fort Bragg, Fort Benning, Fort Hood, Fort Rucker, Fort AP Hill....
The artist formerly known as Prince?
This is a throw-away action by Trump.
He may lose, but it has no consequence. If he can change the names with an EO, the next Dem POTUS will change it back.
I’m going to blame “The artist formerly known as Prince” for starting this whole renaming game.
One more way to spread confusion. The devil’s politics in action.
BTTT
“The artist formerly known as Prince”
I forgot about him!
“Then who changed Mount McKinley to Denali?”
Denali is what the locals call it as it is a native name coming from the five tribes. And giving it a new name in Washington D.C. is not going to change what they call it. Wase of money and paper.
Let’s take Georgia. It was named after a king in England who approved the first charter. Why not call it Hernando’s place. He’s the guy who found it originally. In their native tongue, Georgians call themselves the Kartveli and their country Sakartvelo. What general or politician should the name be changed to? After all, McKinley never went to Alaska.
wy69
Denali’s name was changed from Mount McKinley to Denali by Obama: The Myth of Mt. Denali by Daniel Greenfield
I'm pretty sure the people living in Alaska weren't happy with the reversion to the indigenous name.
DING DING DING a winner
Gulf of America makes most sense. It’s surrounded by North America and Central America. And maybe South America.
+1000.
-PJ
“The Persian Gulf is called by some the Arabian Gulf. So, there is a precedent for having two names simultaneously.”
When I was in Kuwait courtesy of Uncle Sam, I definitely fished in the Arabian Gulf off a Navy pier! But I would not tell that to the Iranians.
LOL!
All schtick.
People will call it what they want.
Book publishers will use whatever name they decide on.
Don’t like the name - don’t buy the book - or don’t say that name - although I hope people could discern meaningful info in any book.
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