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The Conversation
The Conversation
Environment
Seth T. Kannarr, PhD Candidate in Geography, University of Tennessee

From Greenland to Fort Bragg, America is caught in a name game where place names become political tools

Bragg Donald Trump Fort Bragg Greenland Barack Obama Alaska Denali Mount McKinley National Park Service
President Donald Trump re-renamed Denali as Mount McKinley in 2025. Tim Rains/National Park Service, CC BY

Place names are more than just labels on a map. They influence how people learn about the world around them and perceive their place in it.

Names can send messages and suggest what is and isn’t valued in society. And the way that they are changed over time can signal cultural shifts.

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