Panel to consider renaming Interior river with Gwich’in name

FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The Alaska Historical Commission has been asked to consider renaming a 344-mile river in Alaska’s Interior from Birch Creek to its Gwich’in name.

The commission also is expected to take up whether to rename one of the river’s side channels when it meets Nov. 16.

The Fairbanks Daily News reports (http://bit.ly/2eFtqQ9) that Birch Creek flows from near Central to the Yukon River, with 110 miles in its upper section designated as a federal wild and scenic river.

Under the proposals, the main body of Birch Creek would be renamed the Ikheenjik (Ih-hey-n-jik) River. Another section, known as Lower Mouth Birch Creek, would be renamed K’iidoontinjik (ey-dough-tin-jik) River.

If the changes are approved, the new names would become official in Alaska. The U.S. Board of Geographic Names would have to accept the names if they were to be recognized at the federal level and used on U.S. Geological Survey maps.