Lake America?

President Donald Trump wants Americans — and Canadians — to start looking at one of the Great Lakes differently.

Lake Ontario, he decrees, should become “Lake America.”

At first glance, the name itself is not necessarily offensive. In fact, there is an interesting geographical argument that could be made for it. The United States does not possess a monopoly on the word “America.” We are the United States of America, but we live within the larger Americas: North America, Central America and South America. Canada, the United States and Mexico are all North American nations.

But geography is precisely where Trump’s argument begins to fall apart. Lake Ontario does not belong exclusively to the United States. And its name comes from Indigenous origins, from the Iroquoian word Kaniatarí:io or Ontarí’io, which means “lake of shining waters” or “beautiful lake.”

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency describes Lake Ontario as one of the Great Lakes that straddle the Canada-United States border. Its shoreline touches New York on the American side and Ontario on the Canadian side. It is a shared international body of water — not presidential property and certainly not something Washington can simply claim from Ottawa by changing words on a map.

Trump’s proposed renaming comes amid a rapidly escalating trade dispute with Canada. CNN reported that Trump has accused Canada of “ripping off” the United States for decades and called the country difficult and unreasonable. Canada, meanwhile, announced retaliatory tariffs after the United States imposed major new tariffs on Canadian goods.

This raises the question Americans ought to be asking: What exactly does the United States gain by calling Lake Ontario “Lake America”?

Economically? Very little.

Militarily? Nothing obvious.

Geographically? Nothing changes.

Diplomatically? We could actually lose something.

“The problem isn’t just the name; it’s the message.”

The problem isn’t just the name; it’s the message. Trump’s defenders can fairly argue that presidents routinely use symbolism to project national pride. His administration previously renamed the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America” for U.S. federal usage. But Lake Ontario presents an even more obvious international problem because the lake literally forms part of the geography shared by two sovereign countries.

Reuters reported Trump’s demand emerged directly amid deteriorating relations with Canada. Canadian officials have largely dismissed the idea, and Ontario Premier Doug Ford has emphasized that Ontario remains enormously important to American commerce.

The president can direct what American federal agencies call geographical features within the limits of U.S. authority. He cannot order Canada to change its maps, compel Canadians to abandon the name Lake Ontario, or unilaterally rewrite an international boundary.

And certainly no American president can simply rename the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean for the rest of the world. Other sovereign governments and international institutions are not subordinate to an American executive order. That is Geography 101.

National strength does not require humiliating your neighbor. Trump frequently argues that the United States has defended Canada while receiving too little in return and that Canada has taken advantage of America economically. Those are legitimate subjects for political debate.

“National strength does not require humiliating your neighbor.”

Trade agreements can be renegotiated. Tariffs can be challenged. Defense expenditures can be debated. NATO burden-sharing can be examined. American presidents have every right — and responsibility — to negotiate aggressively when they believe American interests are being harmed.

But there is a difference between negotiating from strength and governing through humiliation. Calling neighboring countries names, threatening their national identity or using geography as a weapon does not automatically make America stronger.

We cannot know Trump’s heart, intentions or private motivations. Nor should we attempt to clinically diagnose a president from afar. But we absolutely can evaluate his public rhetoric, political judgment and emotional discipline.

And the rhetoric surrounding Canada increasingly appears fragmented, personal and unnecessarily antagonistic. A president should possess enough emotional intelligence to distinguish between a difficult negotiation and an enemy.

Canada is not America’s enemy. America can protect its interests without manufacturing hostility with its neighbors.

Renaming Lake Ontario “Lake America” does not elevate America. It does not create American jobs. It does not lower grocery prices. It does not strengthen the dollar. It does not improve national security. It does not reduce the federal deficit. It does not make American automobiles more competitive. It does not improve the water quality of the Great Lakes. It does not make Canada more willing to negotiate.

America does not become greater by putting its name on more things. America becomes greater by demonstrating that its leadership, diplomacy, historical understanding and political maturity are worthy of the name it already carries.

 

Edmond W. Davis is a social historian, journalist, professor and documentary host. He is founder of the National HBCU Black Wall Street Career Fest. A native of Philadelphia, he lives with his wife and son in the Little Rock, Ark., area. Davis is committed to cultural empowerment and educational equity through storytelling and civic engagement.