2026 House Resolution 371

Whereas, On August 27, 2026, the President of the United States signed Executive Order 14422 that directs the renaming of Lake Ontario, one of the Great Lakes; and

Whereas, Although the President of the United States has the authority to direct the Secretary of the Interior to provide for geographic nomenclature throughout the Federal Government, executive orders do not change state laws or command states to take specific local actions; and

Whereas, Michigan borders four of the five Great Lakes and is often referred to as the Great Lakes State. Michigan schools proudly teach the names of the Great Lakes using the mnemonic H.O.M.E.S, which celebrates our state’s freshwater heritage; and

Whereas The name “Ontario” is an indigenous name originally given to the lake by the Iroquois tribe and predates both the Canadian Federation and the U.S. Declaration of Independence; and

Whereas, The state of Michigan has an important cultural and economic relationship with tribal nations. Michigan is home to twelve federally recognized Indian tribes which, in 2024 alone, contributed more than one billion dollars to Michigan’s economy. Tribal nations are a part of the rich cultural fabric of Michigan, and the name of Lake Ontario recognizes the importance of tribal nations in Michigan and the Great Lakes region; and

Whereas, Michigan shares the coastline of three of the Great Lakes (Superior, Huron, and Erie) with the Canadian province of Ontario, and Michigan has a substantial cultural and trade relationship with Canada. It has been estimated that more than seventy billion dollars’ worth of goods are traded annually between Michigan and Canada; and

Whereas, The renaming of Lake Ontario may damage economic and social relationships with Canada and tribal nations; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we urge the Michigan Board of Education to advise public schools to continue referring to the Great Lakes as Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario; and be it further

Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Michigan Board of Education and the State Superintendent of Public Instruction.