Task force celebrates sale of former Aryan Nations land

Foundation creates endowment for NIC

Tony Stewart is in the mood to celebrate.

On Friday, the North Idaho College Foundation and North Idaho College notified the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations that the former Aryan Nations property in Kootenai County had been sold, with the proceeds being used to establish a permanently restricted endowment at NIC named after Gregory C. Carr.

“Today we can all celebrate with North Idaho College, the NIC Foundation and Gregory C. Carr this permanent Carr human rights endowment that will serve NIC students, employees and the general public in perpetuity teaching the essential principles of freedom, equality and justice that is the bedrock of a democracy,” said Stewart, KCTFHR secretary.

The NIC Foundation received the donation of a 20-acre land parcel once owned by Aryan Nations leader Richard Butler from the Gregory C. Carr Foundation in 2002 and recently sold the property. Carr is a philanthropist and completely restored the land to its natural state before gifting it to the Foundation.

“From the arrival of Richard Butler and his Aryan Nations organization to northern Idaho in 1973 until his loss of the compound in a civil trial in 2000, we experienced dark storm clouds over our beautiful state and region for 27 years that included a crime spree of those affiliated with the Aryan Nations that involved murders, bank robberies, counterfeiting United States currency, malicious harassment of innocent citizens, recruitment of individuals promoting white supremacy, hate crimes and hate campaigns,” the task force press release said.

Stewart said the KCTFHR has been a powerful force countering the activities of the Aryan Nations since its establishment in 1981, including working through its attorneys Norm Gissel and Ken Howard in partnership with the Southern Poverty Law Center to bring down the Aryan Nations during the September 2000 civil trial in Idaho’s First Judicial District Court in Coeur d’Alene.

“Since my arrival at North Idaho College in 1970, I have witnessed five decades of a remarkable institution that has never wavered from a commitment to the worth and dignity of all individuals,” Stewart said.

KCTFHR President Christie Wood said the board is grateful to the Foundation and NIC “for this remarkable gift to all humanity and especially to future NIC students.

“The legacy of today’s NIC Foundation Board and staff as well as those employees of NIC that have made this possible will be remembered as giants in the annals of human rights history,” Wood said.

The Foundation dedicated proceeds from the sale of the property to establish a permanently restricted endowment named after Gregory C. Carr. This endowment will support North Idaho College human rights education programming in perpetuity.

Rick MacLennan, NIC president, said the additional resources provided through the NIC Foundation “will allow us to enhance the college’s ability to ensure our human rights education programming continues to thrive at NIC and in collaboration with our greater human rights and education community.”

Through donors, the Foundation invests in special projects and program enhancements for NIC, including awarding more than $1 million in scholarships each year.

In its press release, KCTFHR said “it takes years of dedication, tireless work and unity of a people to defeat bigotry and the threat of violence from hate groups to be replaced by communities where everyone is welcome and respected.”

“This is what Gregory C. Carr, the NIC Foundation and North Idaho College have done with this endowment,” said Stewart.