In 2015, the highest peak in North America, Mount McKinley, was changed to Denali. The name change was meant to acknowledge the name given to the landmark by the Alaska Natives. It was recognized as McKinley for nearly a century, named after President William McKinley, who was assassinated.
This week, news broke that another peak in the United States would be renamed.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Board of Geographic Names decided to officially change the name of the highest peak in Great Smoky Mountains National Park back to its Native American name.
Going forward, “Clingmans Dome” will be referred to as “Kuwohi,” its Cherokee name.
In January, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) submitted a formal request to have the name changed.
In a press release from the National Park Service (NPS), it said that “Kuwohi is a sacred place for the Cherokee people and is the highest point within the traditional Cherokee homeland.”
News Release—Kuwohi name restored to the highest peak in the Smokies
— GreatSmokyNPS (@GreatSmokyNPS) September 18, 2024
The U.S. Board of Geographic Names voted today in favor to change the name of Clingmans Dome to Kuwohi.
Full news release at https://t.co/ceRZOQ5LWd pic.twitter.com/sOJeY9tZkE
“The Great Smoky National Park team was proud to support this effort to officially restore the mountain and to recognize its importance to the Cherokee People,” Superintendent Cassius Cash said in a statement.
“The Cherokee People have had strong connections to Kuwohi and the surrounding area, long before the land became a national park. The National Park Service looks forward to continuing to work with the Cherokee People to share their story and preserve this landscape together,” Cash added.
Kuwohi has more than 650,000 visitors per year and is the tallest point in Tennessee, the NPS added.