Donald Trump recently floated the idea of giving the Gulf of Mexico a new name, suggesting it be called the Gulf of America. This prompted a response advocating for a broader renaming effort, which could bring historical accuracy into the mix. Why not consider renaming North America itself? (See ‘América Mexicana’: Mexico’s president responds to Trump with renaming of her own, January 8.)
Interestingly, it was the Vikings from Norway who are believed to have first set foot on what is today known as North America, before any other Europeans. So, perhaps the continent’s name should take inspiration from Norwegian heritage. Furthermore, the Algonquian- and Iroquoian-speaking tribes, who were among the first to encounter Europeans along the eastern shores, traditionally referred to their homeland as Turtle Island. It’s only fitting to honor these native cultures, given they resided here long before European powers arrived with their feudal systems and the roots of capitalism.
In Norwegian, ‘turtle’ translates to ‘skilpadde,’ and ‘island’ is either ‘øy’ or ‘øya.’ Therefore, wouldn’t it be intriguing to call North America ‘Skilpaddeøya’? This would certainly prove to be a fun twist for postal workers worldwide.
Carla Toney
Karlsruhe, Germany
Do you have a photograph you’d like to share with Guardian readers? Feel free to click here to upload your image. Selected photos will appear in our Readers’ Best Photographs galleries and the print edition on Saturdays.
