Earlier this month, Gilbert Ortega Jr., the owner of Gilbert Ortega Native American Galleries, was videotaped shouting racial slurs at Native Americans outside of his business. The group was dancing on the street near his Scottsdale, Arizona company to film a Super Bowl project for ESPN.
In the cellphone footage, Ortega walked outside and began mocking the Native American chants. He continued by pretending to beat on imaginary drums. Off-camera, a woman asked if he could leave, to which he responded, “MAGA country,” — a reference to Former President Donald Trump’s campaign slogan, “Make America Great Again.” A man who did not appear in the video was heard warning the gallery owner of his behavior, saying, “There’s lots of cameras out here.” Ortega became combative and continued professing his love for “MAGA country.”
Trump supporter Gilbert Ortega Jr tells Natives not to perform outside his store… Where he sells native jewelry.
He tells them "this is MAGA country"
Trump supporters destroy my country everyday. pic.twitter.com/5trHjByLdD
— "All I do is" Nguyen ☺️🇻🇳🌈 (@Nguyen_anime3) February 12, 2023
The gallery owner furthermore taunted the group by pulling out his cellphone to act as if he was also recording since he was being filmed. A brief physical altercation ensued and before Ortega was pulled away, he called one of the individuals a “f**king Indian.” The person filming noted the name of the business and the disgruntled entrepreneur yelled, “That’s right.” According to an article published Monday (Feb. 13) by local news station KGUN 9, the ordeal happened last week. The outlet also shared that Cody Blackbird is the Native American dancer and flutist who filmed the store owner’s tirade. He said the group no longer feels safe and although the business sells Indigenous items, it is only for profit: “They don’t care about the people that are making the items they’re selling and redesigning.”
Since the incident, Scottsdale police have charged Ortega with three misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct. Blackbird, who is of Eastern Band of Cherokee and Dakota descent, said the group wants to see more actions taken. They are hoping the FBI, U.S. Justice Department and Arizona Attorney General’s Office can offer assistance. Unfortunately, Arizona does not have hate crime laws in place at this time. Mayor David Ortega (no relation to the gallery owner) condemned the rant: “The behavior exhibited by this individual saddens and disgusts the people of our community.”