Ben & Jerry’s has not contacted tribe who previously owned land where headquarters are located, chief says
Chief Don Stevens of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation discusses the irony of Ben & Jerry’s calling for a return of stolen indigenous lands despite having its own headquarters on tribal lands in Vermont.
A Vermont Native American chief is calling on Ben & Jerry's to make good on their July 4th remarks to return "stolen indigenous land," arguing the ice cream maker's headquarters is on land that was previously owned by native nations.
"I have not been in direct communication with Ben and Jerry's, but I'm always open to any sort of correspondence or communication to figure out the purpose behind the tweet and how we could work together to uplift our community," Chief Don Stevens of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation said on "Fox & Friends Weekend" Saturday.
The remarks come days after the ice cream maker tweeted on Independence Day that America should return "stolen indigenous land" starting with Mount Rushmore.
The brand wrote in a tweet, "This 4th of July, it's high time that we recognize the U.S. exists on stolen indigenous land and commit to returning it."
According to Chief Stevens, however, Ben & Jerry's call to action could start with the Vermont-based company's own backyard.
"I think the best way is for Ben & Jerry's to reach out, contact us as the state-recognized Abenaki tribes in our homeland and where their factories and headquarters sit and have a conversation," Chief Stevens told co-host Pete Hegseth. "And if they're willing to work with us and help uplift our people, then I'm there for the conversation."
There are four state-recognized tribes located in Vermont. He also stated that Ben & Jerry's company headquarters is located in South Burlington, Vermont, which is on Western Abenaki land.
VERMONT NATIVE AMERICAN CHIEF SAYS BEN & JERRY'S HEADQUARTERS ON ‘STOLEN’ LAND
"Our way of being is that we are place-based people. And we shared this place with other animals, trees and beings, so we were stewards of the land," Chief Stevens explained. "So when we say how do we manage those resources and how do we uplift all of the people that are in that place? So Land back is kind of a European term, and I feel that how do we work together to steward the place to be able to uplift all involved."
Chief Stevens explained that his tribe is open to any and all discussions regarding land and resources. His tribe, the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation, struggles with food insecurity and a lack of land.
"If we ever had land that we could grow our food and raise our animals on, then it would help with our food insecurity and ultimately reduce our health disparities. So any time that we could restore the land would be a blessing for our people," he said.
As Ben & Jerry's tweet showed the company's support for returning land, Chief Stevens highlighted his hopes that the ice cream maker will consider talks about giving back the land under its headquarters.
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Fox News Digital reached out to Ben & Jerry's for comment, but did not immediately hear back.
"We've been here for 12,000 years. We'll be here for the next 12,000. And any time Ben & Jerry's or any business is willing to work with us and partner in finding ways to utilize the land that we are in to help us, that would be a wonderful thing," Chief Stevens said.
Fox News' Amy Nelson and FOX Business' Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
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