How Place Names Shape Identity and Power

CrashCourse

This episode of Crash Course Geography explores the subfield of Human Geography through the lens of "toponyms," or place names, illustrating how names reflect power, history, and culture. The video uses the specific case study of Denali (formerly Mount McKinley) in Alaska to demonstrate how political power at different scales—local, national, and global—influences the identity of a place. It explains that geography is not just about memorizing locations, but understanding the complex spatial relationships between people, power, and the environment. Key themes include the concepts of "Place" versus "Space," the impact of colonization on indigenous landscapes, and the geographic concept of "Scale." The video breaks down how naming a location is an act of claiming ownership and shaping perception. It details the historical struggle between the Athabascan name "Denali" and the imposed name "Mount McKinley," using this narrative to introduce broader geographic concepts like political, economic, and urban geography, as well as formal and perceptual regions. For educators, this video is an invaluable resource for introducing AP Human Geography concepts, specifically within the units on Cultural Patterns and Processes or Political Organization of Space. It provides a concrete, high-interest example of how abstract concepts like "cultural erasure" and "scales of analysis" play out in the real world. The video encourages students to critically examine the maps they use and understand the historical narratives embedded in the names of their own local communities.