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Seneca Nation calls for reversal of Trump’s ‘Lake America’ executive order
The tribe says the change violates a 1794 treaty and erases Indigenous history as Trump orders the name updated in 30 days.
President Donald Trump directed the Interior Department to rename Lake Ontario as "Lake America" within 30 days, a move arriving amid escalating trade tensions with Canada.
The name Lake Ontario derives from the Huron Indigenous word "oniatarí:io," meaning "lake of shining waters," while the Seneca term is "sga:nyodai:yoh," or "beautiful lake." Ontario province adopted the name in 1867.
Seneca Nation President Conrad Seneca on Friday denounced the order as "blatant disrespect" for The Seneca, arguing it violates the 1794 Treaty of Canandaigua signed by President George Washington.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney rejected the renaming, noting the name predates the Canadian Confederation and Declaration of Independence, while The Canadian government imposed retaliatory tariffs on American goods.
Trump has suggested Canada should be absorbed as the 51st state, yet experts note The President cannot force Canada to adopt the rename, limiting the order's practical reach.