The Seneca Nation calls on President Donald Trump to rescind an executive order that renames Lake Ontario as “Lake America.” Seneca Nation President J. Conrad Seneca criticizes the change and argues it is improper and should not stand.
Seneca’s position centers on the 1794 Canandaigua treaty, which the Seneca Nation says governs relationships between Native Americans and the U.S. government. The outlets describe the request as a formal demand for reversal, linking the name change to alleged treaty violations and, in some coverage, to concerns about respect for Indigenous communities connected to the lake’s traditional name.
Different outlets frame the critique with varying emphasis, ranging from labeling the action “unpresidential” to describing it as “blatant disrespect” for Indigenous people. However, they all report the same core points: Trump authorizes the renaming through a Thursday executive order, and the Seneca Nation responds by calling for the order to be reversed based on treaty and Indigenous rights arguments.
