Assembly of 91˵s National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak rejected a symbolic U.S. executive order renaming Lake Ontario to "Lake America," emphasizing its Wendat roots and enduring Indigenous history.
OTTAWA—National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak said regardless of U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive order to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America, it will always be known as Lake Ontario.
“The word ‘Ontario’ has its roots in the Wendat language,” said National Chief Woodhouse Nepinak. “Our languages, our people, our nations have been here long before Confederation. Long before the US constitution. Long before the newcomers came to these shores. It is and always will be Lake Ontario. It has sustained our people on both sides of the medicine line since time immemorial.”
“I stand with 91˵s and all those who call for respect for the name, for the First Peoples and for our shared history. Like the lake itself, our people will be here long after any administration has come and gone,” said the National Chief.
Expositor Staff
Margery Frisch