By Guy Page
A July 4 public relations statement by Ben & Jerry’s that “the US was founded on stolen Indigenous land” and should be returned has elicited strong pushback on social media.
“Ah, the Fourth of July,” wrote the ice cream giant founded in Burlington. “Who doesn’t love a good parade, some tasty barbecue, and a stirring fireworks display? The only problem with all that, though, is that it can distract from an essential truth about this nation’s birth: The US was founded on stolen Indigenous land. This year, let’s commit to returning it.”
The company with considerable property in Vermont and across the United States then declared, “we need to start with Mount Rushmore.”
Mt. Rushmore!? Why not start with the land holding the company ice cream factory?, many Twitter followers said. For example:
- “Your factory is on stolen land. Native Americans, primarily from the Abenaki tribe, have lived in Vermont for 10,000 years. In 1609, French explorer Samuel de Champlain was the first European to set foot in Vermont.”
- “Cool. Your original location in Waterbury used to be territory between the Mohicans and Pennacook people. You starting the land return or you just gonna tell everyone how good you are, Unilever?”
- “If you want to impress me, build a factory on Native lands and share the profit with the tribe. But no, you’re using a minority as a political tool to sell ice cream instead.”
- “Ok, you start. Relinquish your headquarters.”
- “I’m Oglala Lakota Sioux (related to Chief Sitting Bull) and Navajo, and you embarrass me. We don’t need you to be offended on our behalf. Why don’t you go to Pine Ridge, S.D. and help for real, that rez is a hellhole and needs all the help it can get, if you want to help Natives.”
- “Look at all that profit you’ve made over the decades with your ice cream company that sits on stolen land. When are you handing it all over to the natives along with all the property and assets you’ve accumulated along with your wealth?”
To date, Ben & Jerry’s has not responded to these comments.