A Native American chief from Vermont said he would be open to talking with ice cream maker Ben & Jerry’s about taking back the land under its headquarters.
Chief Don Stevens of the Nulhegan Band of the Abenaki Nation said the company’s headquarters is located on land that was taken from his tribe without their consent.
“We’re open to having a conversation with them about returning the land to us,” Stevens told a news organization. “We’re not asking for anything in return. We just want our land back.”
Ben & Jerry’s has been a vocal critic of the U.S. government’s treatment of Native Americans. In a recent tweet, the company said that “the U.S. exists on stolen Indigenous land” and that it “commits to returning it.”
The company also said that it would support the return of Mount Rushmore to the Lakota people.
Stevens said he believes that Ben & Jerry’s is sincere in its commitment to Native American rights.
“I think they’re genuine,” he said. “I think they really want to make a difference.”
Ben & Jerry’s did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Nulhegan Band of the Abenaki Nation is a federally recognized tribe that has been in Vermont for centuries. The tribe’s traditional homelands include much of the land that is now the state of Vermont.
In the 1700s, the Abenaki were forced to cede much of their land to the U.S. government. The land under Ben & Jerry’s headquarters was part of the land that was taken from the Abenaki.
Stevens said that the Abenaki have never given up their claim to the land under Ben & Jerry’s headquarters. He said that the company is currently occupying the land illegally.
“We’re the rightful owners of that land,” Stevens said. “We’re the ones who should be making decisions about what happens to it.”
Stevens said that he is hopeful that Ben & Jerry’s will be willing to return the land to the Abenaki. He said that the company could make a real difference in the lives of the Abenaki people by doing so.
“It would be a huge step forward for us,” Stevens said. “It would mean a lot to our people.”