American ice cream company Ben & Jerry’s released a message on July 4 arguing that the United States was “founded on stolen indigenous land” and that the government should “commit to returning it.”

“The United States was founded on stolen indigenous land. This Fourth of July, let’s commit to returning it,” Ben & Jerry’s declared, before arguing that July 4 festivities, including parades, barbecues, and fireworks, can “distract from an essential truth about this nation’s birth.”

The company went on to propose that the US should “start with Mount Rushmore,” and detailed the history of the iconic mount and its significance to indigenous Americans.

“Why are we talking about this? Because on the Fourth of July many people in the US celebrate liberty and independence—our country’s and our own,” Ben & Jerry’s said:

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.

While the statement received thousands of likes, it also sparked controversy and critics called on the company to lead the way by returning their own land to indigenous Americans.

Ben & Jerry’s has become known for its progressive political stance and many statements highlighting such issues as climate change, racism, police brutality, and Palestinian rights. In 2016, the founders of the company, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, were arrested at the progressive #DemocracySpring protests in Washington, D.C.

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