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Line 3: − ==Biography== − Ortiz was born July 27, 1930, presumably in California. According to his own statement, he comes from a family who had been in the showbusiness for several generations, with his parents being actors and musicians. Ortiz decided on a similar career path; from the late 1940s through the 1960s, he formed the „Ortiz Trio“ with a brother and a sister. Later on, he formed „The Coronados“, according to a newspaper article he was again joined by several siblings and a brother-in-law<ref name="newspapers">http://www.newspapers.com/newspage/6754483/ accessed 23/06/2013</ref>, with the band establishing in the market for Latino music. From about 1970 on, another band, „The Silverbirds“, was founded once again with family members; this band aimed at the evolving market of Native American music taking up Native American issues in their lyrics.<ref name="newspapers" /> − + − Ortiz has been living in Vienna since 1999, where he initially held a job as a consultant for the theme park „Indian Village Europe“.<ref name="semtribe">http://www.semtribe.com/SeminoleTribune/Archive/1999/May28/europe.shtml accessed 23/06/2013</ref> When this project ended, Ortiz tried to establish as a musician and actor in Europe and additionally entered the market as a shaman and alleged healer. − ==Various Legends==+ − Ortiz portrays himself as the son of a Native American family and claims his father, whose name he renders as Joseph Ortiz Cordona, was a Nedhni Apache, while his mother, Florinda Blair, was a Navaho; at times his mother gets described as a Navaho-Cherokee or a Cherokee. Occasionally, Ortiz claims his mother's family was related to Sequoyah who invented the Cherokee alphabet, whom he misspells as Sequoia<ref name="biosstars">http://www.biosstars.us/casting/6/s/silverbird.htm accessed 23/06/2013</ref> which is the spelling for the Redwood tree.<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sequoia accessed 23/06/2013</ref> On the other hand, there are press articles dating back to the 1970s in which the „Silverbirds“ are said to be Navaho.<ref name="newspapers" /> − According to press articles promoting the „Silverbirds“, the family had been living in Dumont, New York, for several years already. Six of the family members are said to have „Navajo and Spanish blood“, while one was of Cherokee descent. Ortiz' first name gets rendered as „Ruben“.<ref name="newspapers" /> − − Ortiz' claims are dubious, since he never mentions clans of or relations in the indigenous nations except for rather vague pieces of information, and furthermore because he constantly uses an incorrect spelling for the „Nedhni“-Apache. − − In describing his childhood, Ortiz presents his parents as renowned actors and musicians<ref name="biosstars" />, with his father regularly discussing with bishops and leading politicians.<ref name="About-Silverbird">http://www.reubensilverbird.com/About-Silverbird.php accessed 23/06/2013</ref> He further claims to have been born blind and only gained sight through indigenous healing methods several years later.<ref name="religionen.at">http://www.religionen.at/irsilverb01.htm accessed 23/06/2013</ref><ref name="biosstars" /> − − Regarding the job held at the „Indian Village Europe“, Ortiz claims to have been hired as a „coordinator“, although he does not specify a job description.<ref name="semtribe" /> − − ===The Legends Revealed=== − [[image:TheCoronadosHeylove.jpg|thumb|Front: Ruben Ortiz, back: Steven Ortiz]] − Despite Ortiz' attempts, there is enough information available to counter the various and at times even inconsistent legends he has been spreading since the 1960s. The alleged brother-in-law Steven Coronado who played with the „Coronados“ and later the „Silverbirds“, too, was in fact Ruben's younger brother Steven Ortiz. Steven is somewhat more truthful about his family and mentions his parents' proper names as José Torres Ortiz and Florinda Naranjo Ortiz.<ref>http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2006/feb/10/east_naples_man_recounts_story_growing_under_big_t/ accessed 24/06/2013</ref> − − Ortiz' parents in fact were Mexican citizens living in Mexico who operated a small family circus/traveling vaudeville show, crossing the border to the USA for the season to perform in towns in Texas and New Mexico. Their competitors were another Mexican circus family by the name of Mendoza, touring the same region with a similar show.<ref>Mary Jane Walker: Family Music and Family Bands in New Mexico Music. 2011. p. 107. Publication of a 2008 dissertation at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.</ref> − − According to Steven's report, his father went out of business and sold his circus tent which he attributes to a gasoline shortage due to World War II. Ruben's blindness indeed gets mentioned, however, Ruben was not born blind, and his blindness according to Steven's account seems to have been no more than a matter of weeks or perhaps months. There are also no indigenous healing methods mentioned; Steven Ortiz rather attributes Ruben's recovery to their mother's intense praying.<ref name="Montaño">Mary Caroline Montaño: Tradiciones Nuevomexicanas: Hispano Arts and Culture of New Mexico. University of Mexico 2001, p. 339</ref> − − Besides performing, the younger Ortiz also mentions his father selling medical remedies to their audience. In accordance with the legend of being indigenous, he first asserts that his father never charged for the remedies, but in the following paragraph mentions that sales of these medicines went well.<ref name="Montaño" />
no edit summary
'''J. Reuben Silverbird''', or „Joseph Reuben Silverbird“, proper name apparently '''Ruben Ortiz''', is a musician, actor, and [[Plastic Shaman]] and has been living in Vienna/Austria since 1999. Correspondingly, his main area of activity is Austria, but he also tours Norway and did a tour through Australia in 2011. He maintains contacts to Unification Church (the „Moonies“) and to Falun Gong.
'''J. Reuben Silverbird''', or „Joseph Reuben Silverbird“, proper name apparently '''Ruben Ortiz''', is a musician, actor, and [[Plastic Shaman]] and has been living in Vienna/Austria since 1999. Correspondingly, his main area of activity is Austria, but he also tours Norway and did a tour through Australia in 2011. He maintains contacts to Unification Church (the „Moonies“) and to Falun Gong.
Ortiz claims to have three sons, Perry, Mark, and Gil. He seems to have been married twice, his first wife Ginger was also a singer with the „Coronados“ and the „Silverbirds“. An article dated December 1986 introducing New York „Silverbird Restaurant“ run by Ortiz mentions a first marriage which broke up and a second marriage at that point in time to a German by the name of Inge.<ref>http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20095159,00.html accessed 24/06/2013</ref>
Ortiz has three sons, Perry, Mark, and Gil. He seems to have been married twice, his first wife Ginger was also a singer with the „Coronados“ and the „Silverbirds“. An article dated December 1986 introducing New York „Silverbird Restaurant“ run by Ortiz mentions a first marriage which broke up and a second marriage at that point in time to a German by the name of Inge.<ref>http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20095159,00.html accessed 24/06/2013</ref>
Regarding the job held at the „Indian Village Europe“, Ortiz claims to have been hired as a „coordinator“, although he does not specify a job description.<ref name=<ref>http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2006/feb/10/east_naples_man_recounts_story_growing_under_big_t/ accessed 24/06/2013</ref>
Ortiz' employment with the „Indian Village Europe“ seems to have gone back to his legends about an indigenous status taken seriously by a US employee of the park responsible for hiring Native personnel for the exhibition. However, Ortiz' job was not a coordinator, but a consultant.<ref name="semtribe" /> Given the ambitious aims this park had regarding a presentation of the diversity of indigenous cultures to a European audience<ref name="semtribe" />, hiring a person for a consultant who is not Native and has no further insight into the issues will have thwarted the project considerably and contributed to cementing stereotypes with the audience rather than providing factual information.
Ortiz' employment with the „Indian Village Europe“ seems to have gone back to his legends about an indigenous status taken seriously by a US employee of the park responsible for hiring Native personnel for the exhibition. However, Ortiz' job was not a coordinator, but a consultant.<ref name="semtribe" /> Given the ambitious aims this park had regarding a presentation of the diversity of indigenous cultures to a European audience<ref name="semtribe" />, hiring a person for a consultant who is not Native and has no further insight into the issues will have thwarted the project considerably and contributed to cementing stereotypes with the audience rather than providing factual information.