Billie Eilish is facing backlash after her Grammy Awards acceptance speech sparked an unexpected response from a Native American tribe whose ancestral land includes the area where her Los Angeles mansion sits.
According to sources, during her Song of the Year acceptance at the Grammy Awards, the singer made a political statement while wearing an “ICE Out” pin.
“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 declared, referencing the history of colonization in the Americas. She continued with a call for activism, adding: “It’s just really hard to know what to say and what to do right now, and I just feel really hopeful in this room, and I feel like we just need to keep fighting and speaking up and protesting, and our voices really do matter, and the people matter.”
Eilish ended her brief but fiery remarks with a blunt shout: “And f*** ICE, that’s all I’m gonna say. Sorry!”
Her comments, aimed at immigration enforcement policies, quickly caught the attention of a journalist who pointed out that Eilish’s multimillion-dollar home is located on land historically inhabited by the Tongva tribe, the indigenous people of the Los Angeles area.
Soon after, the Tongva tribe issued a statement addressing the situation. While they took the high road, the tribe made their point clear by opening with a reminder that Eilish lives on their ancestral territory before thanking her for raising awareness.
“We do value the instance when public figures provide visibility to the true history of the country,” the tribe stated. They also revealed they had reached out to Eilish directly, expressing hope that “in future discussions the tribe can be referenced to ensure that the public understands that the greater Los Angeles basin remains Gabrielino Tongva territory.”
The Tongva people are the original inhabitants of land stretching from Los Angeles through Orange County. The area that now includes thousands of private properties, among them is Eilish’s gated residence.
Eilish was not the only artist to reference ICE during the ceremony. Bad Bunny also used his platform, telling the crowd: ‘Before I say, “Thank God,” I’m going to say, “ICE out.” We’re not savage. We’re not animals. We’re not aliens. We are humans and we are Americans.’
