Indigenous chief wants to take back Ben & Jerry’s HQ built on ‘stolen’ land

Jul 10, 2023

Karah Rucker Anchor/Reporter

By Karah Rucker (Anchor/Reporter), Stacey Chamberlain (Writer/Producer)

Bias Distribution Powered by Ground News™

An indigenous chief wants to take back the land that the Ben & Jerry’s headquarters was built on in Burlington, Vermont. The company was founded on that land in 1978.

According to Newsweek, Don Stevens, a chief from the Coosuk Abenaki Nation, said the tribe has always been interested in reclaiming the stewardship of its land, including acres in southern Burlington that the Ben & Jerry’s headquarters occupies.

The comments came after the Vermont ice cream maker was questioned about when it would give up its properties following a controversial Twitter post on July 4.

“The United States was founded on stolen indigenous land. This fourth of July, let’s commit to returning it,” the iconic American ice cream brand tweeted. In the post, the company proposed that the U.S. start with Mount Rushmore in South Dakota.

This 4th of July, it's high time we recognize that the US exists on stolen Indigenous land and commit to returning it. Learn more and take action now: https://t.co/45smaBmORH pic.twitter.com/a6qp7LXUAE
— Ben & Jerry's (@benandjerrys) July 4, 2023

The message sparked outrage and generated a flood of negative responses. Some called it the company’s “Bud Light moment,” referring to the boycott the beer brand has endured since partnering with transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney in April.

Other Twitter users called on Ben & Jerry’s to be the first to give up its land, factories, buildings and stores. But the Vermont Native American chief said that the tribe has not been approached by Ben & Jerry’s in regard to opportunities to get Native land back.

According to the Straight Arrow News Media Miss tool, this story is being underreported by the media as a whole. The news outlets that are picking it up are right-leaning outlets while left-leaning news outlets are leaving it out of the news cycle.

Ben & Jerry’s is no stranger to criticism over its stances on divisive issues. Earlier this year, the company fended off calls for a boycott after voicing opposition to the U.S. providing military aid to Ukraine. It has also been scrutinized over its support of the LGBTQ+ community and the Black Lives Matter movement.

Tags: Black Lives Matter, Bud Light, Media Landscape, South Dakota, Twitter, Ukraine aid, Virginia

KARAH RUCKER: AN INDIGENOUS CHIEF WANTS TO TAKE BACK THE LAND THE BEN AND JERRY’S HEADQUARTERS IS BUILT ON IN BURLINGTON, VERMONT – WHERE IT WAS FOUNDED IN 1978.

ACCORDING TO NEWSWEEK, CHIEF DON STEVENS, FROM THE COOSUK ABENAKI NATION, SAID THE TRIBE HAS ALWAYS BEEN INTERESTED IN RECLAIMING THE STEWARDSHIP OF THEIR LANDS, INCLUDING ACRES IN SOUTHERN BURLINGTON THE BEN & JERRY’S HEADQUARTERS OCCUPIES. THE ANNOUNCEMENT COMES AFTER THE VERMONT ICE CREAM MAKER WAS QUESTIONED AS TO WHEN IT WOULD GIVE UP IT’S PROPERTIES FOLLOWING A CONTROVERSIAL TWITTER POST ON THE 4TH OF JULY.

THE ICONIC AMERICAN ICE CREAM BRAND SPARKED OUTRAGE ON SOCIAL MEDIA AFTER TWEETING THE MESSAGE: “THE UNITED STATES WAS FOUNDED ON STOLEN IN

DIGENOUS LAND. THIS FOURTH OF JULY, LET’S COMMIT TO RETURNING IT.” IN THE STATEMENT, THE COMPANY PROPOSED THAT THE U.S. START WITH MOUNT RUSHMORE IN SOUTH DAKOTA.

THE MESSAGE GENERATED A FLOOD OF NEGATIVE RESPONSES, WITH SOME CALLING IT THE COMPANY’S “BUD LIGHT MOMENT,” REFERRING TO THE BOYCOTT THE BEER BRAND HAS ENDURED SINCE PARTNERING WITH TRANSGENDER ACTIVIST DYLAN MULVANEY IN APRIL.

OTHER TWITTER USERS CALLED ON BEN & JERRY’S TO BE THE FIRST TO GIVE UP ITS LAND, FACTORIES, BUILDINGS AND STORES. BUT THE VERMONT NATIVE AMERICAN CHIEF SAID THAT THE TRIBE HAS NOT BEEN APPROACHED BY BEN & JERRY’S IN REGARD TO OPPORTUNITIES TO GET NATIVE LAND BACK.

SO FAR THIS STORY IS BEING UNDER-REPORTED BY THE MEDIA AS A WHOLE. BUT THE NEWS OUTLETS THAT ARE PICKING IT UP ARE RIGHT-LEANING ORGANIZATIONS. LEFT-LEANING NEWS OUTLETS ARE LEAVING IT OUT OF THE NEWS CYCLE. AT STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, WE REPORT THE FACTS, REGARDLESS OF WHERE THE STORY FALLS ON THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM. YOU CAN FIND MORE STORIES AND UTILIZE THIS MEDIA MISS TOOL ON OUR WEBSITE S-A-N DOT COM.

BEN & JERRY’S IS NO STRANGER TO CRITICISM OVER ITS STANCES ON DIVISIVE ISSUES. EARLIER THIS YEAR THEY FENDED OFF CALLS FOR A BOYCOTT AFTER VOICING OPPOSITION TO THE U.S. PROVIDING MILITARY AID TO UKRAINE. AND SCRUTINY HAS CONTINUED TO ESCALATE OVER THE COMPANY’S SUPPORT OF THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY AND THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT AS WELL AS OTHER POLARIZING ISSUES.