World News
Seneca Nation demands reversal of Trump order renaming Lake Ontario
Indigenous leaders say replacing Lake Ontario with 'Lake America' violates a 1794 treaty signed by George Washington.
The short version
- Seneca Nation President J. Conrad Seneca called on President Trump to rescind an executive order attempting to rename Lake Ontario to 'Lake America.'
- Seneca stated that the move violates the 1794 Treaty of Canandaigua and disrespects Indigenous heritage that predates both the U.S. and Canada.
- The executive order directs the U.S. Interior Department to update domestic geographic databases within 30 days as part of an ongoing trade dispute with Canada.
- Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has rejected the renaming, which President Trump cannot force Canada to adopt.
Key facts
- Seneca Nation President J. Conrad Seneca called for President Donald Trump's executive order renaming Lake Ontario as 'Lake America' to be rescinded.[ABC News · Associated Press]
- Seneca stated that the renaming violates the 1794 Treaty of Canandaigua, signed by President George Washington and the Haudenosaunee confederacy.[ABC News · Associated Press]
- The presidential order directs the U.S. Interior Department to update the lake's name in the federal geographic naming service within 30 days.[ABC News · Associated Press]
- The executive order was issued during an escalating trade dispute featuring bilateral tariff increases between the U.S. and Canada.[ABC News · Associated Press]
- Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney rejected the renaming initiative.[ABC News · Associated Press]
What remains uncertain
- It is unclear whether legal action will be brought under the 1794 Treaty of Canandaigua to challenge the executive order.[ABC News · Associated Press]