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

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.