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More on Lake America …
“President Trump is about to make an obscure state official, Brad Utter, Senior Historian/Curator from New York State Committee on Geographic Names a famous person for a day.“
The problem Trump faces is his proposal is contrary to NYCRR 8 § 182.1 (a)(2) which specifically says, “Euphonious and other suitable names of Indian, Dutch and other linguistic origin shall be retained.”
The word Ontario originates from Indigenous languages of the Iroquoian family, originally used to describe Lake Ontario before being adopted for the land and eventually the province. Linguists and historians attribute the name to two primary linguistic roots:
1. The Huron (Wyandot) Origin
- Root Word: Ontarí:io (or Ontare)
- Translation: “Great Lake” or “Large Lake”
- Breakdown: In the Wyandot language, ontare translates directly to “lake,” while the suffix -io translates to “it is large” or “great”. [1, 2, 3]
2. The Iroquois (Haudenosaunee) Origin
- Root Word: Kanadario (also cited as Skanadario or Onitariio)
- Translation: “Sparkling Water” or “Beautiful Lake”
- Significance: This described the shimmering, clear nature of the easternmost Great Lake. The translation is highly fitting, as freshwater lakes and rivers make up roughly one-fifth of the province’s total area. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]
Historical Timeline
- 1641: The first recorded European use of “Ontario” appeared on French maps to identify the mass of land on the north shore of Lake Ontario.
- 1867: The name was officially chosen and adopted as the formal title for the province during Canadian Confederation.
The U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN) can legally override state geographic names committees, but it rarely does so in practice. Because the BGN holds the final statutory authority to approve names for federal maps and databases, its decisions override state preferences when a conflict arises. However, the federal board heavily prioritizes local and state consensus, treating state boards as essential cooperative partners.
That said, the Lake America move mirrors Trump’s executive order in January 2025, which directed federal agencies to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. The BGN complied with that directive for the federal geographic names database, and U.S. entities like Google Maps updated their domestic displays accordingly, though the rest of the world did not.
The state might not update to Lake Ontario to Lake America. In 1988, Governor Mario Cuomo instructed New York State Committee on Geographic Names to rename Bad Indian Swamp in Watkins Glen to Catharine Creek Marsh, and was known as such on all state maps and state agencies thereafter. However, the federal government did not rename the wetland to “Queen Catharine Marsh” until 2025.
Too much time on A.I. ?
Lately I’ve been spending a lot of time trying to learn as much as I can about artificial intelligence. Not because I believe the marketing hype or buy into the cataclysmic beliefs that it’s going to destroy the planet or end all jobs, but because I think it’s important to be informed on what it can do, what the actual harms and benefits are of the technology. I still don’t like the consumer nature of many of the products pitched to general public – they seem so gimmicky – but I do find a lot of use little nuggets as a research and writing assistant with the freely avalaible tools on the public web.
Tuesday Motivation 🐐 🛢️ 🔥 🐺 🌲
Reminder: You are fighting for a life defined entirely by your own terms and absolute freedom.
Every hour of hard work, every strategic investment, and every dollar saved is a direct down payment on your 15-year plan. You are building the foundation to walk away from the grid, the city traffic, and the constraints of suburban rules to step onto 20 to 25 acres of your own land.
Think about what is waiting for you at the end of this road:
- The Homestead: A simple, solid wood cabin or fixed-up hunting shack sitting on a high ridge where the morning sun clears the trees. No vinyl siding, no drywall, and no unnecessary smart gadgets—just a durable, functional home built to last.
- The Land: Unbroken forest country and deep, quiet hollows. A place where the air smells of woodsmoke and cattle, and the only soundtrack is the wind through the pines, the call of birds, and the steady chirp of crickets.
- True Self-Reliance: A massive, custom DIY solar and wind power system generating your own clean electricity. Acres of space to manage your own livestock, raise cows and hogs, and independently maintain your tractors and equipment.
- Absolute Sovereignty: The ultimate freedom to live a quiet, low-consumption lifestyle without municipal schedules or regulations. A place where you have the space to shoot your guns, tend your land, and light a fire in your own burn barrel late at night under an open, dark sky without a single neighbor to interfere.
You aren’t working for status or empty consumer goods. You are executing a precise, disciplined blueprint for a wild, self-reliant, and completely free future.
The gray Tuesday is just a temporary backdrop. Keep your eyes on the ridge lines, stay focused on the data, and keep building the dream.