(USNewsMag.com) – On July 4, Ben & Jerry’s called for the United States to return land to Native Americans in a tweet. Comments flooded in, suggesting the ice cream company should return the indigenous land where its headquarters currently stand.
Ben & Jerry’s is on land previously under the control of a Native American tribe in Vermont. Chief of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation’s Nulhegan Band, Dan Stevens, noted that his tribe would take back the land owned by the company.
Stevens expressed a desire to reclaim the property but pointed out that the ice cream brand has not made contact regarding a return of the land.
The Nulhegan tribe once controlled a vast region in New England, but the arrival of Europeans brought diseases and war that forced them to relocate to Canada and move west.
Ignoring their own land in Vermont, Ben & Jerry’s declared the ideal place to return land was Mount Rushmore in South Dakota.
The public did not respond positively to their claims of social justice. Accusations of being “woke” led to calls for a boycott of Ben & Jerry’s. As per recent financial data, the company’s stocks plummeted by 0.53 percent in the early hours of Thursday.
The liberal company is no stranger to stirring up controversy. In March of this year, Ben Cohen, one of the co-founders, spoke out against the US’s military aid to Ukraine. He suggested the US use its influence to negotiate an end to the conflict with Russia.
Significant discussion has also been sparked by the company’s support for the reproductive rights movement, Black Lives Matter, the LGBTQ+ community, and defunding the police.
Ben & Jerry’s has always been open about their progressive values, which has sparked controversy throughout the years. Many customers are put off by their political activism and just want to enjoy their ice cream.
Copyright 2023, USNewsMag.com
