McKinley vs. The High One

From: Rebecca Sheir
Length: 04:15

Why has an Ohio Congressmen spent 30+ years obsessing over the name of a mountain... in Alaska? Read the full description.

Piece Audio

Playing: McKinley vs. The High One
From: Rebecca Sheir

Mckinleydenali_small What's taller than sixteen Empire State Buildings... can disappear behind clouds 60% of the time... and is surrounded by a park that could pretty much swallow Massachusetts? The answer really depends on whom you ask. In Alaska, it's known as Denali, an Athabascan word meaning "The High One." But for Ohio Congressman Ralph Regula, it was, is and always will be "Mount McKinley." And he's spent 30+ years introducing legislation to keep it that way. In this piece, we hear from Representative Regula, along with Alaska Congressman Don Young, an Alaska Native cultural historian and the fine members of Ohio's 16th District, where Regula's been holding court for decades.

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Piece Description

What's taller than sixteen Empire State Buildings... can disappear behind clouds 60% of the time... and is surrounded by a park that could pretty much swallow Massachusetts? The answer really depends on whom you ask. In Alaska, it's known as Denali, an Athabascan word meaning "The High One." But for Ohio Congressman Ralph Regula, it was, is and always will be "Mount McKinley." And he's spent 30+ years introducing legislation to keep it that way. In this piece, we hear from Representative Regula, along with Alaska Congressman Don Young, an Alaska Native cultural historian and the fine members of Ohio's 16th District, where Regula's been holding court for decades.

Broadcast History

This piece originally aired on AK, the weekly magazine-style program on the Alaska Public Radio Network, on June 2nd, 2007, on public radio stations across Alaska.