Seneca Nation President J. Conrad Seneca is calling on President Donald Trump to rescind his executive order renaming Lake Ontario “Lake America” for federal use, arguing that the decision disregards the lake’s Indigenous identity and violates the 1794 Treaty of Canandaigua.
Seneca said the Lake Ontario name should remain as a reflection of the Indigenous people who lived around the lake long before the United States or Canada existed. In a statement reported by The Associated Press, he accused the president of trying to erase Indigenous culture through a political action tied to the administration’s trade dispute with Canada.
The Seneca Nation is one of the six nations of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, which signed the Treaty of Canandaigua with the United States during President George Washington’s administration. The agreement established peace and friendship between the federal government and the Haudenosaunee nations.
Seneca argued that replacing the established name conflicts with that commitment and ignores the cultural history embedded in the word Ontario. His objection adds a treaty-based challenge to criticism already raised by Canadian leaders and New York officials over the scope, purpose and practical effects of the order.
Indigenous name predates both countries
The name Ontario is derived from an Indigenous term associated with the lake, not from the Canadian province. The AP traced it to the Huron word “oniatarí:io,” meaning “lake of shining waters.” The province of Ontario, established in 1867, later took its name from the lake.
Seneca said the lake is known in the traditional Seneca language as “sga:nyodai:yoh,” meaning “beautiful lake.” He said retaining Lake Ontario would recognize the Indigenous communities on both sides of the international boundary whose relationship with the lake predates the creation of either country.
The historical question has been central to several reactions since Trump proposed the change. FingerLakes1.com previously reported that variants of the Ontario name appeared in European records during the 1600s and became established geographic usage by the 18th century, even as French explorers and mapmakers used other names at different points.
State Sen. Pam Helming, whose district includes parts of the Finger Lakes, also cited the name’s Indigenous significance when she criticized the executive order this week. State Sen. George Borrello and state Sen. Jeremy Cooney raised similar concerns, while Gov. Kathy Hochul and U.S. Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand argued the administration should focus on trade and costs instead of renaming the lake.
Federal order has limited reach
Trump signed the order Aug. 27 after first floating the change amid escalating trade tensions with Canada. The directive tells the Interior Department to update the federal Geographic Names Information System within 30 days, making Lake America the name used by U.S. agencies on federal maps, databases, reports and other materials.
At the signing, Trump described the change as effective immediately and connected it to his complaints about Canadian trade and defense policy. The United States had announced new tariffs on Canadian goods after negotiations broke down, and Canada responded with retaliatory tariffs.
The order does not require Canada, New York state, local governments or private organizations to adopt Lake America. It also does not change the international boundary through the lake, ownership or jurisdiction over the water, shipping rights, environmental agreements or treaties governing the Great Lakes.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney rejected the new name, pointing to its Indigenous roots and its use before both Canadian Confederation and the U.S. Declaration of Independence. Ontario Premier Doug Ford has also said the lake will continue to be called Lake Ontario in Canada.
The split is already visible on digital maps. Google Maps began showing Lake America to users in the United States after the federal geographic database was updated, while Apple Maps continued to display Lake Ontario and MapQuest said it would retain the traditional name.
New York communities are not required to replace signs, tourism material or local branding. Oswego Mayor Robert Corradino previously said his city had no plans to make those changes, citing the lake’s historical identity and the cost of replacing material carrying the Lake Ontario name.
Seneca’s demand now places the federal government’s relationship with the Haudenosaunee at the center of the dispute. The administration had not announced a reversal of the order, and federal agencies remained directed to carry out the naming change for U.S. government use.
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