Ben & Jerry's tweeted on July 4 that the United States should return "stolen lands" to Native Americans. The chief of a tribe in Vermont said that if this appeal is "sincere," he expected the company to approach him about returning the land where their headquarters are currently located on the Western Abanaki territory.
This was stated by Don Stevens, Chief of the Nulhegan Band of the Abenaki Coosuk Nation. In a series of interviews, Stevens said that he was still waiting to be contacted by the company to "see how they can better benefit Indigenous people."
Stevens told Newsweek he had " not been approached in regards to any land back opportunities from Ben & Jerry's." "If and when we are approached, many conversations and discussions will need to take place to determine the best path forward for all involved."
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
A week of controversy
It's not the only controversy Ben & Jerry's has been involved in since July 4. Just two days later, co-founder Ben Cohen was arrested while protesting for the release of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
Last Saturday, it was reported that their parent company, Unilever, had more than $2 billion in losses. Consumer’s decided to boycott the company after they posted online calling for the U.S. to return stolen land to the indigenous people.
