Video: President Obama lands at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska on August 31, 2015.
A 94-year-old Alaska Native elder greeted President Barack Obama on Monday with a song about Denali in honor of the official recognition of the peak's traditional name.
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Poldine Carlo meets President Barack Obama after he lands in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 31, 2015. Photo from TheObamaDiary.com / Twitter
Poldine Carlo, a founding member of the Fairbanks Native Association, was one of about 180 people on the tarmac at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, where Air Force One landed for the start of the president's historic trip to the 49th state. She burst out into the song in the Koyukon Athabascan language after meeting Obama, who announced on Sunday that the highest peak in North America will be known by her people's original name.
![](https://www.indianz.com/News/2015/09/01/poldinecarlo083115b.jpg)
Poldine Carlo wipes away a tear after meeting President Barack Obama in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 31, 2015. Photo from TheObamaDiary.com / Twitter
Obama spent about 10 minutes at the base greeting a group of well-wishers that included Lt. Gov. Byron Mallott (D), who is Tlingit. He praised the president and Interior Secretary Sally Jewell for recognizing the Native name of the peak formerly known as Mt. McKinley.
![](https://www.indianz.com/News/2015/09/01/poldinecarlo083115c.jpg)
Poldine Carlo sings a song about Denali after meeting President Barack Obama in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 31, 2015. Photo from TheObamaDiary.com / Twitter
“Alaska’s Athabaskan people have lived in the Interior for thousands of years, and recognizing the name Denali brings great respect to their culture and history in our great state," Mallot said in a press release. Denali means "high" or "tall" in the Koyukon Athabascan language. Relevant Documents:
White House Fact Sheet: President Obama in Alaska (August 30, 2015) Related Stories:
President Obama restores Alaska Native name of highest peak (8/31)
President Obama to visit Native villages on historic trip to Alaska (8/25)
Alaska governor pursues appeal in landmark land-into-trust case (8/25)
Alaska Natives to welcome President Obama at end of month (8/17)
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