Bonner County Human Rights Task Force: Standing for Community for 30 Years
The Formative Meeting of BCHRTF
Upon exploring the Bonner County Human Rights Task Force (BCHRTF) website, one will find their events, scholarship and internship opportunities, membership sign-up, and more. But even 30 years ago, the Task Force had a substantive initiative.
In 1992, a meeting was organized by a coalition of local churches, and featured speakers from the Kootenai County Task Force for Human Relations. They spoke about their concern regarding the harassment of minorities and the violence that accompanied the presence of the Aryan Nations in their community. Examples of this included various kinds of lawlessness: forgery, robbery, bombings, and even murder. One of the speakers at the meeting was Father Bill Wassmuth from Coeur d’Alene—who escaped injury when the rectory in which he was staying was bombed by Aryan Nations members because of his support of human rights.
Around 300 people gathered at the Sandpoint High School gym that day, including Richard Butler, the Aryan Nations leader, and a group of his followers—visible because of their swastika arm bands. Less visible were the FBI agents, who were stationed on the balcony.
Richard Butler was hoping to expand the influence of his Christian Identity Church, manifest his vision of a “whites only” Pacific Northwest, and to recruit followers in Bonner County. From there, it was made clear at this meeting that the Sandpoint community needed an apolitical and secular organization to prevent Richard Butler’s intentions and act as a united voice against hate ideologies. Thus began the Bonner County Human Rights Task Force (BCHRTF).
Members of the Task Force were told later by former followers who had left the Aryan movement that the unity and determination of the crowd on that formative night convinced Richard Butler it would be a waste of time to try to organize in Bonner County.
Since their start in 1992, BCHRTF has moved forward with some guiding principles:
To not meet opposition in a manner that creates greater polarization, but to come up with creative ways to counter anti-democratic ideologies.
By trying hard to—in both words and actions – focus on what we are FOR, more than what we are AGAINST.
After the Aryans
In the year 2000, the Southern Poverty Law Center won a lawsuit against the Aryan Nations on behalf of two people who were shot at and assaulted as they were driving by the compound. The settlement bankrupted the organization and the compound was razed to the ground.
This opened the way for the BCHRTF to focus on other human rights issues, using the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a partial guide and putting emphasis on education and collaboration in the community.
In 2012, BCHRTF received a large donation from a member who passed away. They made the decision to place the funds with the Idaho Community Foundation. The interest accrued each year is used to offer grants for human rights activities and initiatives in Bonner County. The approximately $18,000 annually has allowed BCHRTF to support many other groups whose missions overlap their own, and to build strong partnerships with them.
Among BCHRTF’s many partnerships in the community are those with the local schools. There is a Human Rights Club at Sandpoint High School. A representative of the high school club sits on the Board of BHRTF. The Task Force annually sponsors an Arts for Human Rights exhibit by giving students the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and asking them to illustrate one of the articles. This has been done in partnership with the Pend Oreille Arts Council.
Community Partnerships and Additional Resources
BCHRTF has supported the Kalispel Tribe of Indians to ensure Kalispel history and culture is taught in Idaho school curricula.
With financial stability and well-being as a human right, BCHRTF partners with anti-poverty groups such as Southeastern Idaho Community Action Agency and Circles USA.
Built in the 1927, the Panida Theater of Sandpoint, ID was purchased by the community so that the property would not become a commercial space. Now a community hub, BCHRTF has been able to support cultural education through the visual arts by hosting free screenings of films like Te Ata and Snow Falling on Cedars.
To become a BCHRTF member, sign up here, or find the Task Force tabling at a local Sandpoint Farmer’s Market in the summer!
References:
About SEICAA. SEICAA. (2022, February 22). Retrieved April 2022, from https://seicaa.org/about-seicaa/
Building community to end poverty. Circles USA. (2020, December 21). Retrieved April 2022, from https://www.circlesusa.org/
Home | BCHRTF. BCHRTF. (n.d.). Retrieved April 2022, from https://www.bchrtf.org/
Home. Kalispel Tribe of Indians. (n.d.). Retrieved April 2022, from https://kalispeltribe.com/
Pend Oreille Arts Council. (n.d.). Retrieved April 2022, from https://www.artinsandpoint.org/
The PANIDA Theater - Arts and Entertainment in Sandpoint, Idaho. The Panida Theater - Arts And Entertainment In Sandpoint, Idaho. (n.d.). Retrieved April 2022, from https://www.panida.org/
United Nations. (n.d.). Universal declaration of human rights. United Nations. Retrieved April 2022, from https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights
What is the Idaho Community Foundation? Home - Idaho Community Foundation. (n.d.). Retrieved April 2022, from https://www.idahocf.org/