Ben & Jerry’s meltdown? Ice cream maker hit for July 4 post, US built on 'stolen Indigenous land'

Ben & Jerry's ice cream is under fire after posting a July Fourth message stating that the United States "was founded on stolen Indigenous land" and urging the public to "commit to returning it."

The company said the return of land to Native Americans needs to start with Mount Rushmore because the iconic presidential landmark is carved into the Tunkasila Sakpe, which is considered sacred to the Lakota Sioux.

"But what is the meaning of Independence Day for those whose land this country stole, those who were murdered and forced with brutal violence onto reservations, those who were pushed from their holy places and denied their freedom? The faces on Mount Rushmore are the faces of men who actively worked to destroy Indigenous cultures and ways of life, to deny Indigenous people their basic rights," Ben & Jerry's wrote Tuesday, referring to the faces of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln carved into the mountain.

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

Ben & Jerry's Twitter post linking to the company's Fourth of July statement generated controversy online, as the tweet has more than 27,200 comments, mostly negative, compared to 7,780 likes as of Wednesday morning.

"Give ALL of your property and land back to the Native Americans right now then... or shut up," conservative comedian Tim Young responded to the post. 

Country singer John Rich responded by calling to "Make [Ben & Jerry's] Bud Light again," referring to how sales of the beer significantly declined after the company partnered with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.

"You just guaranteed that I (a once-loyal customer) will never again consume a single pint of it," Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, tweeted. "When you suggest 'returning' the land on which our country has been built for centuries, what exactly do you imagine? Expungement of property rights? Repatriation of most Americans to Europe?" 

Madeleine Hubbard is an international correspondent for Just the News. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram.