Georgia Lawmaker Faces Opposition Over Proposal to Rename Sawnee Mountain After Trump

By Jongwon Lee

A statue of Chief Sawnee overlooks the mountain range that bears his name in Forsyth County. Credit Jongwon Lee

CUMMING, Ga. — A legislative proposal to rename Sawnee Mountain, a historic North Georgia landmark, has sparked significant pushback from local officials and the Native American community.

In early January, State Representative David Clark (R-Sugar Hill) introduced House Resolution 1053, which seeks to rename Sawnee Mountain in Forsyth County to “Trump Mountain.” In the resolution, Clark described the 47th President as “one of the most transformative presidents in the nation’s history” and stated the change would “honor his historic legacy of Making America Great Again.”

The mountain, located approximately 40 miles north of Atlanta, is named after Chief Sawnee, a prominent Cherokee leader who resided in the area during the early 19th century.

Historians note that Sawnee and his tribe provided vital assistance to early settlers before the 16,000 Cherokee people were forcibly relocated to Oklahoma during the “Trail of Tears” in the late 1830s.

Local leaders have voiced firm opposition to the resolution, arguing that the landmark’s nomenclature should remain rooted in its ancestral history.

“We have zero intention of changing Sawnee Mountain, one of the county’s most iconic natural features,” stated Forsyth County District 1 Commissioner Kerry Hill. “It represents a single local leader from the Cherokee Nation, but also the mountain’s first inhabitants before settlers developed Forsyth County.”

The entrance sign to the Sawnee Mountain Preserve in Forsyth County, Georgia. Credit Jongwon Lee

Forsyth County Manager David McKee echoed these sentiments, affirming that the county remains “firm in preserving the legacy of the Cherokee tribe.”

The resolution has also faced criticism from within the Republican party. State Rep. Brent Cox, who is of Cherokee descent, challenged the necessity of the change while acknowledging the party’s broader goals.

“Sawnee Mountain is part of our history and our identity,” Cox stated. “As a Republican, I believe in preserving tradition… including President Donald J. Trump recognizing the Lumbee Tribe this past December.”

The proposed name change is part of a series of similar moves to add the president’s name or likeness to government related venues.

In December the board of the Kennedy Center in Washington DC approved adding Trump’s name to what is now the Trump Kennedy Center.  Last year the administration unveiled new national park passes bearing Trump’s image alongside that of George Washington.

Ann Burroughs is president and CEO of the Japanese American National Museum (JANM) and chair of the International Board of Amnesty International. Speaking during a recent ACoM news briefing, she said battles over place names or historical monuments are “not about nostalgia. It’s about who gets to define the past and who has the power to shape the future.”

She added, “It requires all of us to ask a very fundamental question. Who gets to decide what this country remembers… and what it forgets, or erases?”

As of February 2026, HR 1053 remains on the House floor with Rep. Clark as the sole sponsor. To date, no other legislators have formally co-signed or expressed support for the measure.

Media note that the proposal comes as Clark campaigns for the office of Georgia Lieutenant Governor ahead of the Republican primary in May. Rep. Clark has not responded to multiple media requests for comments regarding the local and tribal backlash.