Mt. McKinley from Tokositna

Mt. McKinley from the Tokositna, 1979
Silver gelatin print
Gift of Bradford Washburn, 1994.88.29
Anchorage Museum

In 2015, the Koyukon Athabascan name “Denali,” meaning “the tall one” or “the high one,” was officially reinstated by the US Secretary of Interior, ending nearly a century of debate after North America’s tallest peak was designated “Mt. McKinley” from 1917–⁠2015. These photographs use McKinley in the title because they were created before the mountain’s original name was restored.