The deep roots of intolerance

MOSCOW — Alisha Graefe, library archivist at Boise State University, spoke Wednesday for a “A History of Hate: Hate Groups in Idaho” lecture at the Kenworthy Performing Arts Theatre, summarizing events in history dating back as early as 1924 to the current climate in Idaho.

“I am presenting this from a place of love,” said Graefe, who received her master’s degree from BSU in 2018 with her thesis, “American Hatred: Wild West Myths, Color-Coded Rhetoric, and the Shaping of the Aryan Nations.”

“But I’ve wrestled with staying in state for years now just because of the increase in far-right activity, and not just activity but the Legislature, making it harder and harder, as a queer person, to live comfortably in my home state.”

Much of the archives of photographs and documents that were presented during her speech were from institutions like the University of Idaho, Boise State, North Idaho College and Idaho State University.

Through her presentation, Graefe shared archived photographs, some of which included Ku Klux Klan members showing their faces in Boise fairgrounds after a march in 1924, Aryan Nations parading swastika flags through Coeur d’Alene and, in most recent events, 2020 Black Live Matter protesters clashing with Idaho Liberty Dogs and Blue Lives Matter supporters in downtown Boise.

As one of her main focuses, she also covered Richard Butler — a notorious white supremacist who created a hate group based in Idaho after moving to the state in 1970.

“To Butler, Idaho, specifically northern Idaho, was the perfect haven for like-minded white separatists,” Graefe said.

According to Graefe, Butler would have summer conferences called “Aryan World Congress” in 1984-1986 and would invite white supremacists, white separatists, Ku Klux Klan leaders, militias and neo-Nazi skinheads to vacation.

This would make headlines each year.

“Here they attended church, held rallies in the streets of Coeur d’Alene and practiced target shooting and resistance tactics,” Graefe said. “ Children would attend workshops and classes where they would learn to be good knight riders while learning about the history of the Ku Klux Klan from Pastor Robert Miles.

The Aryan Nations compound was finally demolished in 2001, three years before Butler’s death, when a Native American mother and son were harassed at gunpoint by Aryan Nations members after driving by their compound at night.

Although their compound was destroyed and many abandoned Butler and his mission, white supremacists proudly resurfaced in large numbers after former President Donald Trump took office.

“Donald Trump was really the first president that very openly acknowledged white supremacy,” Graefe said. “He never disemboweled himself from the Ku Klux Klan, who endorsed him, or the Proud Boys. so I think that it was just finally being seen by a president — and the fact that he is still active and has tried to get reelected, has really kept their dream alive, I guess.”

According to Graefe, there are currently 13 active anti-government groups in Idaho.

Carrillo-Casas can be contacted at mcarrillo@dnews.com