Native American tribe that owns land under Billie Eilish’s LA mansion has message for virtue-signaling singer

When Billie Eilish stepped onto the stage at the Grammy Awards and used her acceptance speech to criticize U.S. immigration enforcement, she likely expected applause from supporters and backlash from critics. What she may not have anticipated was a response from the very people her words invoked: the Indigenous community whose ancestral territory includes the land where her Los Angeles home stands.

Eilish’s statement—asserting that “no one is illegal on stolen land”—was quickly circulated across social media and cable news. Supporters praised her for aligning herself with immigrant rights and Indigenous justice. Critics accused her of hypocrisy, pointing to her wealth and property ownership. Yet amid the predictable political polarization, a more nuanced and revealing reaction emerged from the Tongva tribe, also known as the Gabrieleno Tongva.

Their message was neither a denunciation nor an endorsement. Instead, it was a reminder—measured but firm—that Indigenous histories are not abstract metaphors and that visibility should include specificity.

The Tongva Response: Appreciation, With a Condition
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