The renaming of Mount McKinley to its traditional Alaskan Native name, Denali, has sparked controversy across the nation. President Obama announced Sunday that the mountain would be renamed as a part of restoring the relationship with the Alaskan Native tribes. The state’s Native population has referred to the site as Denali for generations.

The mountain was renamed Mount McKinley after a gold prospector heard William McKinley, the 25th U.S. president, had received the Republican presidential nomination. The prospector believed it would be a good gesture to rename the site in show of support.

We believe President Obama made the right decision in renaming the mountain. Donald Trump said renaming the mountain was an insult to Ohio because McKinley was from Ohio. Trump said that if he is elected president, he will rename the mountain Mount McKinley. However, we don’t see the name change as an insult to Ohio. McKinley never visited Alaska and never had a real connection with the area. The mountain was renamed because an uninvolved person thought it should be renamed. We view it as officially recognizing the Alaskan Native’s right to name important aspects of their culture and livelihood.

The above editorial is the consensus opinion of The Kent Stater editorial board.