The Tongva tribe, whose ancestral territory includes the land beneath Billie Eilish’s Malibu residence, has publicly addressed the pop star following controversy surrounding her “stolen land” comments at the Grammy Awards. The Native American tribe confirmed that Eilish’s property is located on their traditional land and revealed that the singer has not contacted them regarding the matter.
“We appreciate the opportunity to provide clarity regarding the recent comments made by Billie Eilish,” the tribe stated. They emphasized their position as the original inhabitants of the region, explaining, “As the First People of the greater Los Angeles basin, we do understand that her home is situated in our ancestral land,” according to their statement to the Daily Mail.
What Billie Eilish Said
During Sunday’s Grammy Awards ceremony, Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas accepted the Song of the Year award for ‘Wildflower’. In her acceptance speech, Eilish addressed topics of immigration and activism.
The moment that generated significant attention was her reference to stolen land.
“As grateful as I feel, I honestly don’t feel like I need to say anything but that no one is illegal on stolen land,” she said.
“I feel like we just need to keep fighting and speaking up and protesting. Our voices really do matter, and the people matter,” Eilish stated before ending with “F*** ICE” and another “thank you.”
Netizens React
The Grammy winner’s remarks sparked considerable criticism on social media, with numerous users calling on the singer to return her multimillion-dollar property to the Tongva Tribe. “Billie Eilish calls America ‘stolen land.’ Ok, Billie. Your $14,000,000 mansion in LA is built where the Tongva tribes once lived. Any plans on returning it?” wrote one user.
Another user commented, “The woman is a blithering idiot. Of course, if she really means it, then she’ll happily hand over her multi-million pound Malibu beachfront home to illegal migrants”.
