Billie Eilish Called Out by Native American Tribe After Grammys ‘Stolen Land’ Comment

It’s not surprising that Billie Eilish‘s Grammysacceptance speech is drawing criticism. It was bold, blunt, and unmistakably aimed at the current political climate. Eilish has been very vocal about where she stands, so it was very much expected when she declared, “No one is illegal on stolen land.”

What wasn’t expected was where some of that backlash is coming from. In the days following the 2026 Grammy Awards, a Native American tribe publicly pushed back at Eilish’s statement, pointing out that the home she owns is built on land taken from indigenous people, and that accusation has shifted the conversation from applause to accusations of “tone deafness” and “hypocrisy.”

Eilish made her declaration while on stage with her brother, Finneas O’Connell, to accept the Song of the Year award for her hit “Wildflower” from the 2024 album, Hit Me Hard and Soft. While at the podium, she said, “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.”

As she made the statement, Eilish looked up at her brother, as if for approval, while the audience burst into applause.

She continued, “‘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 concluded her speech with a bleeped-out, “F-ck ICE,” and carried her newest trophy back to her seat with her.

Not long after the applause died down, though, it was pointed out that Eilish’s $3 million Los Angeles mansion sits on the ancestral land of the Tongva tribe, also known as the First Angelenos.

This revelation has even elicited a response from a Tongva tribe spokesperson, who told the Daily Mail, “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.”

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They continued, “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.”

Eilish has not publicly responded to criticism of her home or the land it’s built on. However, the “Birds of a Feather” singer is known to put her money where her mouth is. In 2025, while publicly calling on billionaires to donate, she donated $11.5 million from her Hit Me Hard and Soft tour to charities, including those tied to climate justice, food equity, and reducing carbon pollution.