Indigenous Group Calls for Explicit Recognition of Gabrieleno Tongva Land in Future Discussions; No Direct Contact from Eilish Reported

Los Angeles, California – February 3, 2026 – The Tongva people, the Indigenous inhabitants of the greater Los Angeles Basin also known as the Gabrieleno Tongva, have issued a statement addressing pop star Billie Eilish's controversial Grammy Awards remarks in which she declared "no one is illegal on stolen land" while criticizing U.S. immigration enforcement.

The statement comes after Eilish, 24, accepted the Song of the Year award at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards on Sunday and stated, "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 f*** ICE, that's all I'm gonna say. Sorry!" The comments drew applause in the room but sparked immediate backlash online, with critics highlighting that Eilish's multimillion-dollar Los Angeles-area mansion is located on what the tribe describes as its ancestral territory.

A spokesperson for the Tongva tribe confirmed to multiple outlets, including Fox News and the Daily Mail, that Eilish's home is indeed situated on their ancestral land. "As the First People of the greater Los Angeles basin, we do understand that her home is situated in our ancestral land," the spokesperson said. They emphasized appreciation for public figures raising awareness about the region's Indigenous history but urged greater specificity in such statements.

"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," the statement continued. The tribe noted that Eilish has not contacted them directly regarding her property or the comments.

The remarks have fueled widespread online debate, with some users accusing Eilish of hypocrisy and calling for her to return the property or take concrete actions consistent with her rhetoric. Reports vary on the mansion's value and exact location (with mentions of Glendale, La Cañada Flintridge, or broader LA areas), but the property is widely described as a high-end estate purchased in recent years.

Eilish has not publicly responded to the tribe's statement or the surrounding controversy as of Tuesday afternoon. The incident adds to ongoing discussions about land acknowledgments, celebrity activism, and the "land back" movement, particularly in California where many urban areas overlap with unceded Indigenous territories.

The Tongva, who have long advocated for recognition of their sovereignty and cultural heritage in the region, used the moment to advocate for more precise and inclusive language when referencing Indigenous land rights in public discourse.