From SUNY Oswego, Lake Ontario is hard to miss. It is a core part of many college experiences. Now, Americans are being asked to call it something new: Lake America.

On Aug. 27, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the federal government to rename Lake Ontario to “Lake America.” The order argues that the lake is an important American resource and is integral to the nation’s history. 

The reasoning behind wanting to emphasize the lake’s importance to the United States is understandable. Lake Ontario has played a significant role in American commerce, transportation, and its vast military history. According to the Port of Oswego, the city became the first U.S. port of entry on the Great Lakes in 1799. Its waterfront later supported several forms of trade, from salt shipments to fur; our ports were central for the exchange of goods. 

I do not think changing the Lake’s name accomplishes much. If the intention of this change is to prove our American history, then it is pointless. That history is already here.

More importantly, Lake Ontario is not exclusively American. The Lake is shared by New York and the Canadian province of Ontario. According to Reuters, about 52% of the lake is in Canadian territory. This makes more than half of the lake belong to Ontario, yet our federal government remains insistent on claiming the body of water as an exclusive symbol of our patriotism. This begs the question: Where does patriotism stop and greed begin? I think that line is far thinner than we would like to acknowledge. It could also be argued that the two are synonymous with each other when it comes to federal action such as this.

The name also carries a history that predates the United States. The Canadian government states that “Ontario” comes from the Iroquois word “Kanadario,” meaning “sparkling water.” Changing the name will not erase the shared cultures behind it, and I would argue that it undermines the indigenous history tied with this great lake.

Oswego’s response has been clearer than the federal government’s. On Sept. 1, Mayor Robert Corradino announced that the city does not support the change and will continue using “Lake Ontario” on municipal signs, tourism materials, waterfront programming and official communications. He described the traditional name as a part of Oswego’s history and identity. That decision makes sense. 

The federal government can change what appears on maps. What it cannot change is the centuries of history attached to a place, and it cannot make a shared lake exclusively American simply by giving it a new name. Some things do not need an American makeover. Lake Ontario is one of them.