Embracing Denali
Restoring the name Denali to Alaska's tallest mountain is long overdue. Great move by President Obama.
And, yes, I know it does not solve all the problems that began when Europeans and others arrived in 'the new world' and began expropriating whatever they wanted, but the substance and symbolism of the renaming is significant, sets the stage for similar restorations, and puts a different cast on all the talk about immigration and sovereignty these days, as I see it.
So a Seattle gold prospector born in New Hampshire named William Dickey came out of the Denali mountain wilderness in 1896, heard that the Ohioan William McKinley won the GOP presidential nomination and named Denali Mt. McKinley.
Glad that Alaskan natives are getting this piece of their country back.
And, yes, I know it does not solve all the problems that began when Europeans and others arrived in 'the new world' and began expropriating whatever they wanted, but the substance and symbolism of the renaming is significant, sets the stage for similar restorations, and puts a different cast on all the talk about immigration and sovereignty these days, as I see it.
So a Seattle gold prospector born in New Hampshire named William Dickey came out of the Denali mountain wilderness in 1896, heard that the Ohioan William McKinley won the GOP presidential nomination and named Denali Mt. McKinley.
Glad that Alaskan natives are getting this piece of their country back.
No comments:
Post a Comment