December 4, 2023

As a substitute of sharing a patriotic message on the delivery of American independence, ice cream firm Ben & Jerry’s shared a messaged on the Fourth of July arguing that the US was “based on stolen indigenous land” and that the federal government ought to “decide to returning it.”

“The US was based on stolen indigenous land. This Fourth of July, let’s decide to returning it,” Ben & Jerry’s declared, earlier than arguing that July 4th festivities, together with parades, barbecues, and fireworks, can “distract from a necessary reality about this nation’s delivery.”

Pints of Unilever model Ben & Jerrys ice cream on the market at a retailer in Dobbs Ferry, New York, U.S., on Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022.  (Tiffany Hagler-Geard/Bloomberg through Getty Photos / Getty Photos)

The Vermont ice cream firm proposed that the US ought to “begin with Mount Rushmore,” and detailed the historical past of the enduring memorial and its significance to Native People.

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“However what’s the which means of Independence Day for these whose land this nation stole, those that have been murdered and compelled with brutal violence onto reservations, those that have been pushed from their holy locations and denied their freedom?” Ben & Jerry’s mentioned. “The faces on Mount Rushmore are the faces of males who actively labored to destroy Indigenous cultures and methods of life, to disclaim Indigenous individuals their fundamental rights.”

Ben & Jerry's ice cream store

 The menu hangs on the wall at a Ben & Jerry’s ice cream retailer on September 23, 2021 in Miami, Florida.  (Joe Raedle/Getty Photos / Getty Photos)

The ice cream firm argued that even the Supreme Courtroom agreed with them-ruling in 1980 that the land that Mount Rushmore was on was stolen from the Sioux tribe. The courtroom awarded the Sioux $105 million in damages, however the tribes refused the cost. 

“The US exists on stolen land. We’ve got to acknowledge that—at the moment and day-after-day. Within the case of Mount Rushmore, the Supreme Courtroom already did!” Ben & Jerry’s wrote.

“The US exists on stolen land. We’ve got to acknowledge that—at the moment and day-after-day.”

– Ben & Jerry’s

“This Fourth of July, it’s time to return that sacred place to the Lakota,” they continued. “Let’s make it a day that embraces freedom and justice for all.”

Ice cream

Ice lotions are seen on this illustration picture taken on the Ben & Jerry’s manufacturing unit in Waterbury, United States on June 19, 2023.  (Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto through Getty Photos / Getty Photos)

The ice cream firm introduced their controversial Independence Day put up on Twitter-despite beforehand talking out on Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover. 

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Earlier in June, Ben & Jerry’s introduced that they may not pay to promote on Twitter, blaming what it says is an increase in “hate speech” on the platform since Elon Musk took it over.

In a weblog put up, the corporate mentioned that they watched the adjustments at Twitter since Musk purchased the social media large final fall “with nice concern,” writing that “hate speech is up dramatically whereas content material moderation has turn into all however non-existent.”

Ben & Jerry's logo

The brand of the ice cream chain Ben & Jerry’s is seen on high of a store entrance.  (Davide Bonaldo/SOPA Photos/LightRocket through Getty Photos / Getty Photos)

The corporate has lengthy been identified for taking on progressive political causes, together with the corporate’s assist of the LGBTQ+ group and the “Black Lives Matter” motion, amongst different polarizing points.

In 2021 the corporate confronted boycotts from customers within the U.S. after they mentioned they’d not promote its ice cream in Israel’s “Occupied Palestinian Territory,” referring to the West Financial institution and Gaza Strip.

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The corporate defends its activism and states on its web site that its social mission is to “eradicate injustices in our communities by integrating these issues into our day-to-day enterprise actions.”

Ben & Jerry’s didn’t instantly reply to Fox Information Digital’s request for remark.