Seneca Nation demands reversal of Trump’s ‘Lake America’ order

The leader of the Seneca Nation in upstate New York has condemned President Donald Trump’s decision to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America,” calling the move a violation of a more than 225-year-old treaty and a “blatant disrespect” to Indigenous peoples.

Seneca Nation President J. Conrad Seneca urged Trump to rescind the order and retain the name Lake Ontario, which reflects the Indigenous communities that inhabited the region long before the United States and Canada were established.

“The President cannot assert ownership over our culture or erase it through irresponsible political action,” Seneca said in a statement.

Trump this week ordered the Interior Department to change the lake’s name in the US geographic naming system within 30 days. The move comes amid escalating tensions with Canada and a widening trade dispute between the two countries.

Seneca said the renaming violates the 1794 Treaty of Canandaigua, signed by President George Washington and the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, which established a commitment to perpetual peace and friendship. The Seneca Nation is one of the confederacy’s six nations.

The name Lake Ontario originates from the Huron Indigenous term “oniatarí,” meaning “lake of shining waters.” Ontario, the Canadian province established in 1867, was also named after the lake. In the traditional Seneca language, the lake is known as “sga:nyodai,” meaning “beautiful lake.”

Trump proposed the renaming as Washington announced new tariffs on Canadian goods following a breakdown in trade talks. Canada retaliated with tariffs of its own, while Canadian leaders strongly opposed the proposed name change.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney rejected the move, pointing to the lake’s Indigenous origins and noting that its name predates both Canadian Confederation and the United States Declaration of Independence.

While Trump can change the name used by US federal agencies, he cannot compel Canada to adopt the new designation. The dispute comes as Trump continues to accuse Canada of unfair trade and defence practices and has repeatedly suggested that the country should become the 51st US state.