Advertisement Navajo designer mocks Donald Trump with 'Make America Native Again' hats Vanessa Bowen calls Republican presidential candidate a bigot Share Shares Copy Link Copy

A local Navajo artist who doesn't like Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" caps is now selling a Native American version.Vanessa Bowen said she came up with the idea for "Make America Native Again" hats while joking around with friends. She said it is satire to mock the presumptive Republican nominee for president, while also acknowledging Native Americans."It's half and half to be honest," Bowen said. "It is anti-Trump and pro-native so I'm glad I can combine the two."Bowen said this is not a call to return to pre-colonial times. She said her message is to get people thinking about native values such as family and community.She had a small batch of 20 caps made in Albuquerque after a half-dozen friends said they would be interested in wearing the hats. People started to share pictures of the item on social media and the rest of the stock sold in just a couple of days. Bowen said she personally boxed, labeled and shipped the remaining hats.A fulfillment center will take care of the more than 50 orders she had as of Tuesday morning. She said she looks forward to more people wearing the hats as the November election draws near."I just find him to be a bigot and I don't like his message that he preaches," Bowen said about Trump.Community reaction seemed split on the design."I would buy this hat, Make America Native, before I would one of the others," Carlos Hughes said. "I think that's a good plan to honor and respect the Native Americans."Johnny Alston said he's seen Trump wear a cap on the news, but hasn't really thought about the candidate's hats. He has Cherokee ancestry, and said he appreciates the native spin on the Trump design."I really like it. Whoever designed it put some thought into it," Alston said. "A lot of land and property have been taken away from the natives."Some others worry the hat may create more tension and division.Beatrice Cruz said she is not a Trump supporter but she doesn't like the satirical hat."It's like Trump saying one race or one ethnicity is the best, when America was built on different ethnicities and races," Cruz said. "This whole country is mixed with different races and I think everybody is just equal here."Perla Escobar said this hat could start more chaos and drama."It's better to just stay low, stay down and not fight against somebody that's going to lose anyway," Escobar said.The hats with the native phrase sell for $30, which includes shipping. Trump's official caps are $25 plus a $7.35 charge for shipping and handling.Bowen launched www.MakeAmericaNativeAgain.com on Tuesday afternoon, which links to an order form on her personal website. She said she's made some money and is deciding what to do with it.“I know the Native American Center here was in some trouble, so maybe making a charity contribution," she said."I'm still in shock over this whole attention, but I'm very glad that something could come out of Trump's message," Bowen said.Records obtained from the Federal Election Commission show Donald Trump's campaign reported spending more than $1.2 million for "Make America Great Again" hats. The campaign's June filing indicates it spent $207,868 in the past month.