Scott Manning Stevens, associate professor of Native American and Indigenous Studies and English in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in Huffington Post and ICT News articles analyzing President Donald Trump's proposed executive order to rename Lake Ontario as Lake America.

In the coverage, Stevens provided historical context on the Indigenous origins of Lake Ontario's name and discussed the broader implications of changing long-established place names connected to Native communities. He explained that the name "Ontario" derives from Iroquoian languages and emphasized the importance of recognizing Indigenous histories and continued presence across North America.

Stevens, director of the Center for Global Indigenous Cultures and Environmental Justice and Native American and Indigenous Studies program, noted that removing Indigenous place names can contribute to the erasure of Native history and cultural connections to the land. His commentary brought an Indigenous perspective to the national conversation and highlighted the importance of historical understanding when discussing public symbols, geography and identity.

Explore the media coverage below:

• Huffington Post
• ICT News