Land O’ Lakes has stripped its iconic Native American image from its packaging over concerns of “racism.”
While the famous image of “Mia,” a Native American woman, had graced the front of Land O’ Lakes butter, spreads and other dairy products for more than 100 years, now the packaging will show nothing but a barren landscape. The company said the decision “reflects the foundation and heart of our company culture.”
“As Land O’Lakes looks toward our 100th anniversary, we’ve recognized we need packaging that reflects the foundation and heart of our company culture—and nothing does that better than our farmer-owners whose milk is used to produce Land O’Lakes’ dairy products,” President and CEO Beth Ford said in the press release.
“As a farmer-owned co-op, we strongly feel the need to better connect the men and women who grow our food with those who consume it,” Ford said.
While the move drew plenty of confusion and criticism from those already annoyed with perpetually offended “cancel culture,” a few praised it as the right thing to do, alleging that the image had always been “racist” and even “sexist” (despite being neither).
Good news! #LandOLakes removes the Native woman from their packaging & website. https://t.co/lks8uFEeN0
— @_IllumiNatives (@_IllumiNatives) April 15, 2020
Bravo Land O Lakes! Minnesota brands should not be using racist Indian imagery any more. https://t.co/IxAaaHxn0x
— William Lindeke (@BillLindeke) April 15, 2020
Finally, land o lakes removed their racist, sexist logo after 100 years. Here’s how Natives feel: #byemia pic.twitter.com/Ohml5St0KB
— Bunky Echo-Hawk (@BunkHaus) April 17, 2020
(Cover Photo: Mike Mozart)