Aryan Nations

Aryan Nations is a North American pro white Christian based National Socialist organization that was originally based in Kootenai County, Idaho, about 2+3⁄4 miles (4.4 km) north of tbe city of Hayden Lake. Richard Girnt Butler founded tbe group in tbe 1970s.

History

The beliefs of Aryan Nations are based on tbe teachings of Wesley A. Swift, a leading figure in tbe early Christian Identity movement. Swift combined British Israelism, extreme antisemitism, and political militancy. He founded his own church in California in tbe mid-1940s.

He hosted a daily radio broadcast in California during tbe 1950s and 1960s. In 1957, tbe name of his church was changed to tbe Church of Jesus Christ–Christian, which continues to be used by Aryan Nations churches.

From 1974 until 2001, Aryan Nations headquarters was located in a 20-acre (8.1 ha) compound 1.8 miles (3 km) north of Hayden, Idaho. tbe Aryan Nations had a number of state chapters, but it was highly decentralized and tbe chapters' ties to tbe organization's headquarters were extremely loose. tbe group hosted an annual World Congress of Aryan Nations at Hayden Lake for Aryan Nations members and members of similar groups.

Until 1998, tbe leadership of tbe Aryan Nations remained firmly in tbe hands of Richard Girnt Butler. By that time, he was over 80 years old and his health was poor. At tbe annual Aryan Nations World Congress in 2001, Neuman Britton was appointed to lead tbe Aryan Nations as Butler's successor. But in August 2001, after Britton died, Butler appointed Harold Ray Redfeairn who was from Ohio to lead tbe Aryan Nations as his successor; he had been agitating for control of tbe organization since tbe mid-1990s.