Indigenous Leaders Vow to Protect Lake Ontario Identity Following Renaming Proposal

Indigenous leaders in the United States and Canada are standing firm in their connection to the Great Lakes following a move by President Donald Trump to rename Lake Ontario. On Thursday, August 27, 2026, an executive order was issued to change the name to “Lake America,” a decision tribal leaders say ignores the deep Indigenous history of the region. Wyandotte Nation Chairman Billy Friend told ICT on Friday that the name Ontario is an Iroquoian word derived from the Wendat language. The word, Ontari’io, translates to “large lake” or “beautiful lake.” Friend, whose nation is now located in Oklahoma and Quebec, emphasised that the situation is about respecting the language and history of the people who originally named the lake. He noted that historical documents record the name Ontario as early as 1600, predating the formation of both the United States and Canada. Piere Picard, Grand Chief of the Wendat Nation, described the proposal as a blow to Wendat identity. Despite the executive order, Grand Chief Picard reported that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has stated the lake will not be renamed in Canada. Furthermore, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew, who is Ojibwe from the Onigaming First Nation, echoed these sentiments, asserting that the water body will always be referred to as Lake Ontario. The Wyandotte Nation plans to send a formal letter to Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum regarding the lack of meaningful consultation with tribes. Chairman Friend noted that while his people were forcibly removed from their ancestral homelands, they remain a thriving nation today. He stated that the current challenge serves as an opportunity to remind the public that Indigenous communities remain connected to their histories and are still present.