Indigenous tribes on both sides of the US-Canada border are engaged in a dispute over compensation from Ben & Jerry’s regarding its Vermont headquarters, which some claim is built on stolen land. Chief Rick O’Bomsawin of the Quebec-based Abenaki Bank Council of Odanak asserts that his group should receive the land if Ben & Jerry’s intends to return it to Indigenous tribes. O’Bomsawin argues that the territory in question is his people’s homeland. These remarks were made in response to recent claims by the Vermont-based Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation, whose chief expressed an interest in reclaiming the land. O’Bomsawin dismisses the Vermont-based tribe’s claims, stating that they were based on hearsay, and asserts that the Abenaki people moved to Canada centuries ago. The controversy arose after Ben & Jerry’s posted a tweet on July 4 acknowledging that the US was established on stolen Indigenous land, prompting the Canadian tribe to publicly claim ownership of the land on which Ben & Jerry’s headquarters stands. The Abenaki Bank Council of Odanak, based in Montreal, asserts that they are the true descendants of the Abenaki who once lived in Vermont. The Canadian tribe expressed support for compensation for the land but emphasized that only officially recognized Abenaki communities should receive it. In March, O’Bomsawin invited Vermont-based tribes claiming Abenaki heritage to engage in talks but maintained that they had not provided sufficient genealogical and historical evidence. The Vermont-based Abenaki Alliance responded to the recent statement by the Canadian tribe by stating that it was unfortunate for a foreign entity to intervene in another country’s dialogue for political and financial reasons. While seeking compensation has not been the alliance’s primary goal, they met the state’s recognition criteria by providing evidence of genealogical heritage. The alliance maintains responsibility for Native issues involving Vermont homelands and emphasizes that Ben & Jerry’s message on July 4 referred to Abenaki homelands in Vermont. Ben & Jerry’s has not yet commented on the matter. Chief Don Stevens of the Nulhegan Band of The Coosuk Abenaki Nation hopes to engage with the ice cream brand to benefit Indigenous people, as he claims the company’s headquarters is situated on Western Abenaki land. Stevens describes the Abenaki as place-based people who view themselves as stewards of the land. Ben & Jerry’s sparked outrage with its July 4 tweet asserting that the US was founded on stolen Indigenous land.
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