Indigenous leaders condemn Trump’s move to rename Lake Ontario
Indigenous leaders and advocates have expressed outrage after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America. Mohawk policy analyst Russ Diabo referred to the move as "totally asinine" and said it reflects Trump's "racism towards anything Indigenous." The name Lake Ontario derives from the Wendat word Ontari:io, meaning "the lake is beautiful, the lake is big."
Prime Minister Mark Carney emphasized this origin, stating that the lake will retain the name Lake Ontario "then, now and always." Wendat Nation Grand Chief Pierre Picard expressed shock and outrage, accusing Trump of attempting to "eradicate our history" and called the name change a direct assault on Wendat identity. Picard plans to meet with the U.S. Ambassador to Canada, Pete Hoekstra, to discuss the matter.
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