(WXYZ) — From HOMES to HAMES? President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he would consider renaming Lake Ontario to "Lake America" amid a trade war with Canada.
It's not clear if the president's has the ability to rename a Great Lake, but it's similar to an executive order he took last year where he renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America."
However, that action is only used by U.S. agencies and is not an internationally-recognized name for the Gulf.
So how did Lake Ontario get its name? According to the Center for Great Lakes Literacy, the eastern-most Great Lake's name comes from the Iroquoian word “oniatarí:io,” and means “lake of shining waters.”
The lake is shared by the United States and Canada, bordering New York and Ontario, and connects the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean through the St. Lawrence Seaway.
"Indigenous peoples have long been stewards of Lake Ontario (Niigani-gichigami), and they help ensure the lake’s life-giving resources remain abundant and cared for much like family," the CGLL said. Niigani-gichigami is the Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe) word for Lake Ontario.
The NOAA, while writing about the Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary, said the lake's maritime history has been shaped by its geographic setting, connecting the Atlantic Ocea to the Great Lakes.
"From the lakes' role as the ancestral and present homeland of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, to its significance in the westward expansion of the French and British empires, through the conflicts of the French and Indian War, the American Revolution, and the War of 1812, and into the thriving maritime commerce of the 19th century, Lake Ontario offers a rich history and heritage to experience and explore both above and below its waters," the NOAA wrote.
