Seems like the right thing to do, no?
A law firm is offering to help the indigenous Tongva tribe evict pop star Billie Eilish from her luxurious $14 million Los Angeles mansion after the singer boldly proclaimed that America is “stolen land” during her acceptance speech at the 68th Annual GRAMMY Awards over the weekend.
The show was largely just a parade of celebrities taking the stage to bash the Trump administration’s immigration policy and ongoing ICE raids, including the 24-year-old Eilish, who addressed the issue during her speech while accepting her award for Song of the Year:
“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.
And, yeah, it’s just really hard to know what to say and what to do right now, and I 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, and **** ICE. That’s all I’m going to say. Sorry. Thank you so much.”
The nonsensical comment may have backfired on Eilish though, as she’s received quite a bit of criticism for proclaiming that America is “stolen land” while living in a multi-million dollar gated home, which as it turns out is located on land historically inhabited by the Tongva tribe of indigenous Californians.
After her virtue signaling at the GRAMMYs, a Tongva spokesperson released a statement confirming that her home sits on their land, and that Eilish has not reached out to them:
“We appreciate the opportunity to provide clarity regarding the recent comments made by Billie Eilish.
As the First People of the greater Los Angeles basin, we do understand that her home is situated in our ancestral land. Eilish has not contacted our tribe directly regarding her property, we do value the instance when public figures provide visibility to the true history of this country.
It is our hope that in future discussions, the tribe can explicitly be referenced to ensure the public understands that the greater Los Angeles Basin remains Gabrieleno Tongva territory.”
But one Los Angeles law firm is offering free legal services to help the tribe get back the land that Eilish no doubt will agree is rightfully theirs.
The Sinai Law Firm, a real estate firm in southern California, announced that they stand ready to assist the Tongva tribe in eviction proceedings against the pop star:
“Sinai Law Firm is offering to evict Billie Eilish from her Los Angeles home on a pro bono basis on behalf of the Tongva Tribe.
Sinai Law Firm is the premier eviction firm in the county.
Eilish’s admission that she lives on stolen land gives the tribe a rightful action for possession as the true owner of the property.
The 30-day notice is already written and ready to be served.”
In a follow up tweet, the firm perfectly explained the stupidity of Eilish’s statements:
“On a more serious note, using a phrase like “stolen land” has meaning and actual implications in the real world. Both Santa Monica and W Hollywood city council meetings each start with land acknowledgements that they are sitting on stolen land. We have county supervisors reciting those lines too.
It’s both empty virtue signaling and used as a weapon at the same time. It’s empty because no elected official is giving the land back to the tongva just like Billie eilish is not going to get evicted nor will she give her house back.
It’s used as a political weapon to attack ‘things one side doesn’t like’ in both local and international politics, and worse, justifying political violence.
No land is stolen, just taken. I don’t make the rules, that’s the way history works.”
No word yet on whether the tribe will take the firm up on their offer, and Eilish has not yet addressed the tribe or whether she believes that her home too is stolen land. But if she stands by her statement, surely she will have no problem giving it up. As it turns out, she may be the one who’s illegally on stolen land after all.
