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Ben & Jerry’s gets taste of own ‘woke’ medicine when Vermont chief says company HQ on ‘stolen’ land

July 9, 2023 | | Print Article

Thanks to a Native American chief from Vermont, Ben & Jerry’s is finally getting a taste of its own “woke” medicine.

As previously reported, the ice cream giant celebrated July 4th by claiming in a tweet that America “exists on stolen indigenous land” and should “commit to returning it.”

In a blog post, the “woke” company added that the U.S. should start by giving back Mt. Rushmore.

Well, it turns out the U.S. government isn’t the only alleged stealer of Native American land. So is Ben & Jerry’s.

“Maps show that the Abenaki—a confederacy of several tribes who united against encroachment from a rival tribal confederacy—controlled an area that stretched from the northern border of Massachusetts in the south to New Brunswick, Canada, in the north, and from the St. Lawrence River in the west to the East Coast,” Newsweek notes.

“This would put Ben & Jerry’s headquarters, located in a business park in southern Burlington, within the western portion of this historic territory—though it does not sit in any modern-day tribal lands,” according to Newsweek.

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Now enter Don Stevens, the chief of the Nulhegan Band of The Coosuk Abenaki Nation. On Friday, he told the New York Post that if Ben & Jerry’s is “sincere” about what they’re saying, then they could start the process by giving up the colonized land that their headquarters are located on.

“If you look at the [Abenaki] traditional way of being, we are place-based people. Before recognized tribes in the state, we were the ones who were in this place,” he told the paper.

Predictably, “[r]epresentatives for Ben & Jerry’s did not immediately respond” when hit up by the Post for a comment.

As for members of the general public, they were thrilled at the prospect of Ben & Jerry’s being held to the same standard as they expect of others.

Look:

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Stevens also shared his thoughts with Newsweek.

“We are always interested in reclaiming the stewardship of our lands throughout our traditional territories and providing opportunities to uplift our communities,” he said when asked about the prospect of getting the tribe’s land back.

However, and not surprisingly, he added that thus far he “has 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,” he continued.

That said, pressure is now mounting on Ben & Jerry’s to cut the crap and for once practice what it preaches.

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Ben & Jerry’s has also faced criticism from South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem.

Appearing on Fox News last week, she slammed the company over its ridiculous virtue-signaling.

“Right now, Mount Rushmore is the greatest symbol of our freedom and history of the United States of America,” she said. “We can learn from the men on that mountain. We can do better. But, boy, they led us through some challenging times,” she said.

“And I think Americans in this country need some inspiration, and we can gain it from a monument like that. We should be proud of America and knock off what Ben & Jerry’s is doing. They don’t have any idea what they’re doing,” she added.

Vivek Saxena
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