Indigenous leaders condemn Trump's move to rename Lake Ontario
Indigenous leaders and Canadian officials say the rename erases the lake’s Wendat roots, while Rochester unanimously vowed to keep using Lake Ontario.
- On Thursday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order renaming Lake Ontario to 'Lake America,' directing all federal agencies to adopt the new name amid an escalating trade war with Canada.
- The name 'Ontario' derives from the Wendat word 'Ontari:io,' meaning 'the lake is beautiful, the lake is big,' and predates the founding of both Canada and the United States, yet the declaration ignores this Indigenous history and Haudenosaunee language roots.
- Wendat Nation Grand Chief Pierre Picard condemned the move as 'attempting to eradicate our history,' while Mohawk policy analyst Russ Diabo called it 'totally asinine' and 'typical of Trump's racism towards anything Indigenous.'
- Picard announced plans to meet United States Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra to voice opposition, as Rochester city council passed a unanimous Friday proclamation vowing to continue using Lake Ontario despite the federal mandate.
- Trump's directive follows his 2025 executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the 'Gulf of America,' with the president musing about potentially renaming the Atlantic or Pacific oceans next.
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The name of this stream derives from the Huron-Wendat language.
Indigenous leaders condemn Trump's renaming of Lake Ontario
Indigenous leaders and advocates are outraged after U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order to change the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America. The name Lake Ontario comes from the Wendat word Ontari:io, which means “the lake is beautiful, the lake is big.” Prime Minister Mark Carney pointed to that origin on Thursday and said the lake will be known as Lake Ontario “then, now and always.” Wendat Nation Grand Chief Pier…
The Toronto Star
Indigenous leaders condemn Trump’s move to rename Lake Ontario
OTTAWA - Indigenous leaders and advocates are outraged after U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order to change the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America.
Leaders and advocates of indigenous peoples' rights say they are outraged after US President Donald Trump signed a decree on Thursday to rename Lake Ontario "Lake of America".
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