Key facts
- President Donald Trump signed an order to rename Lake Ontario "Lake America."
- The Seneca Nation argues the renaming violates the 1794 Treaty of Canandaigua.
- Seneca Nation President J. Conrad Seneca called for the order to be rescinded.
- The name "Lake Ontario" originates from the Huron Indigenous word "oniatarí:io."
- Canada rejected the renaming, citing the lake's Indigenous origins.
The leader of the Seneca Nation in upstate New York is criticizing President Donald Trump’s decision to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America,” stating it violates a more than 225-year-old treaty and shows disrespect for Indigenous peoples.
Seneca Nation President J. Conrad Seneca called for the order to be rescinded, asserting that the President cannot claim ownership over Indigenous culture. Trump signed the order directing the Interior Department to update the U.S. geographic naming service, part of an escalating trade dispute with Canada. The change was slated for implementation within 30 days.
Seneca stated the renaming contravened the 1794 Treaty of Canandaigua, signed by President George Washington and the Haudenosaunee confederacy, which promised perpetual peace and friendship. The Seneca Nation is one of the six nations within the confederacy, also known as the Iroquois Confederacy. The name Lake Ontario originates from the Huron Indigenous word “oniatarí:io,” meaning “lake of shining waters.” The Canadian province of Ontario derived its name from the lake.
In the Seneca language, the lake is called “sga:nyodai:yoh,” meaning “beautiful lake.” Trump floated the name change amid ongoing trade disagreements, imposing new tariffs on Canadian goods after talks failed. Canada retaliated with tariffs on American products and its leaders criticized the renaming proposal. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney rejected the move, highlighting the lake’s Indigenous roots and its name predating both the U.S. and Canadian nations. Trump has also suggested Canada should become the 51st U.S. state, citing trade and military disputes.