ANALYSIS
Tongva tribe responds to Billie Eilish over her comment about 'stolen land' and her Los Angeles mansion
In an exclusive statement reported by The Daily Mail, a spokesperson for the tribe stated, "As the First People of the greater Los Angeles basin, we do understand that her home is situated in our ancestral land," adding that the artist has not contacted them at any time.
Billie Eilish
After Billie Eilish stated in the Grammys that "no one is illegal on stolen land," the Tongva tribe, native to the Los Angeles area, reacted to the fact that the singer's home, valued at nearly $3 million, is built on their ancestral land.
In a statement reported by The Daily Mail, a spokesman for the tribe said, "As the First People of the greater Los Angeles basin, we do understand that her home is situated in our ancestral land," adding that the artist has not contacted them at any time.
"Eilish has not contacted our tribe directly regarding her property, we do value the instance when Public Figures provide visibility to the true history of this country," the spokesman said.
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The tribe also noted that it had contacted Eilish's team to express their "appreciation for her comments," and used the occasion to recall that recognition should not remain as a symbolic gesture, stressing the importance of public figures accurately mentioning the country's original peoples.
"It is our hope that in future discussions, the tribe can explicitly be referenced to ensure the public understands that the greater Los Angeles basin remains Gabrieleno Tongva territory," the spokesman added.
"She should step up and forfeit her southern California mansion"
Following Billie Eilish's comments during the Grammys ceremony, several critics, including governors and lawmakers, lashed out at the singer, suggesting she donate her million-dollar property in Los Angeles to Native Americans to return "stolen land."
Florida's governor, Republican Ron DeSantis, commented on X: "Oh, wow, this 'stolen land' nonsense again? Maybe she should step up and forfeit her southern California mansion since it is supposedly on 'stolen land.'"
"Exactly," responded Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, to DeSantis' comment.
"Any white person who does a public “stolen land” acknowledgement should immediately give his or her land to native Americans ... Otherwise they don’t mean it ... Also, I’m pretty sure they don’t mean it," wrote Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah).
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Who are the Tongva, the First Angelenos?
The members of this tribe lived in numerous autonomously organized villages, with a culture rich in spiritual traditions and a language belonging to the Uto-Aztec family.
During colonization, especially after the founding of the San Gabriel Mission in 1771, many Tongva were integrated into the missionary system, which profoundly transformed their way of life.
Today, they participate in cultural and educational initiatives, and promote public recognition that much of Los Angeles sits on their ancestral territory.
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