Seneca Nation leader urges reversal of Trump’s Lake Ontario renaming order
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Seneca Nation President J. Conrad Seneca called for President Trump’s order to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America” to be rescinded, citing a violation of the 1794 Treaty of Canandaigua and the lake’s Indigenous heritage.
Seneca Nation President J. Conrad Seneca said the administration’s directive to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America” should be withdrawn, arguing it breaches the 1794 Treaty of Canandaigua and disregards the Indigenous names historically used for the waterway.
The president signed an executive order directing the Interior Department to change the lake’s name in the U.S. geographic naming database within 30 days, a move announced amid heightened trade tensions with Canada.
Seneca noted that the lake’s original name comes from the Huron word “oniatarí:io,” meaning “lake of shining waters,” while in the Seneca language it is called “sga:nyodai:yoh,” meaning “beautiful lake.” He said the change would erase cultural heritage.
"The President cannot assert ownership over our culture or erase it through irresponsible political action," Seneca said in a statement.
Canadian officials, including Justin Trudeau, rejected the renaming, emphasizing the lake’s Indigenous roots and its name’s historical continuity predating both the Canadian Confederation and the United States’ founding.