Blood Tribe

Overview

Blood Tribe is a neo-Nazi white supremacist group founded in 2021 by former Marine and tattoo artist Christopher Pohlhaus. Claiming to have chapters across the United States and Canada, Blood Tribe is a growing organization. The group gained significant media attention after spreading conspiracy theories about the Haitian migrant community of Springfield, Ohio, in August and September 2024. Members of Blood Tribe adhere to various Norse Pagan and esoteric neo-Nazi ideologies that praise Adolf Hitler as a deity. Its stated goal is to turn the United States into an all-white ethnostate through the violent removal of all Jews and non-white minorities they see as enemies of the white race.

Ideology

Blood Tribe’s ideology is typical of other neo-Nazi groups, using racism and anti-semitism as their guiding principles to create an all-white ethnostate ruled by the “superior” Aryan race. Members’ religious beliefs vary but draw significant influence from Norse Paganism, more specifically, Odinism, or “Wotanism” or “Wotansvolk.” This religious belief system gained traction with the white power movement in the 1990s due to its popularization by infamous neo-Nazi terrorist David Lane.

Pohlhaus and some of his followers also adhere to esoteric Hitlerism, which posits that Adolf Hitler was a descendant of the Norse god Odin, making him the divine ruler destined to return the Aryans to their rightful place as the superior race.

Notable Members

Christopher Pohlhaus

After being honorably discharged from the Marine Corps in 2009, Pohlhaus lived in Texas for several years, where he worked as a tattoo artist and sold white supremacist merchandise and propaganda, eventually amassing an online following. In May 2022, Pohlhaus relocated to a remote part of Maine, where he purchased 10.6 acres of land in the small town of Springfield. Pohlhaus intended to use this land parcel to build a white supremacist camp, giving fellow neo-Nazis a place to train and network with one another. The project ultimately failed, as Pohlhaus was never able to recruit more than a half-dozen members, and the backlash from local residents eventually forced him to sell the property in October 2023.

Since selling the Maine property, Pohlhaus has dedicated significant energy and resources to growing Blood Tribe, establishing a presence on multiple social media sites, and embarking on a cross-country tour in an attempt to recruit new members and draw media attention to the group.

Notable Events and Activities

Blood Tribe made their first public appearance in March 2023, marching through the streets of Wadsworth, Ohio, to protest an LGBTQ+ event. Notably, members of Blood Tribe marched alongside individuals associated with Patriot Front and White Lives Matter. Pohlhaus and his Blood Tribe followers would continue this trend throughout the spring and summer of 2023, focusing the majority of their hate marches on LGBTQ+ pride parades and other festivals in Ohio and Wisconsin.

Later, in September 2023, Blood Tribe and members from the Goyim Defense League (GDL), White Lives Matter, Dixieland Nationalists, and Vinland Rebels marched through Altamonte, Florida, culminating in a swastika-adorned demonstration on a freeway overpass.

In August 2024, members of Blood Tribe were instrumental in spreading a racist conspiracy theory about the Haitian immigrant community in Springfield, Ohio, alleging they partook in voodoo rituals involving the theft and eating of local pets. Blood Tribe second-in-command and fellow former Marine Drake Berentz largely took credit for propagating the narratives about Springfield’s Haitian population when he issued a warning to the mayor during an August 27 city council meeting: “Crime and savagery will only increase with every Haitian you bring in, and with it, public frustration, threat and anger.” Far-right social media accounts immediately picked up on the rumors, spreading them across multiple platforms and outlets.

Symbology and Iconography

Blutstamm

The group’s namesake, Blutstamm–German for Blood Tribe–is a reference to their broader goal of popularizing Nazi imagery and ideology to the public. Like many other neo-Nazi groups, Blood Tribe’s deference to the German language is symbolic of their admiration for Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime.

Armanen Runes

Invented by Austrian occultist Guido von List in the early 20th century, Armanen Runes–largely based on the Younger Futhark runes–were later adopted by the Schutzstaffel (SS) in Nazi Germany. As seen on their shirts and other gear, Blood Tribe uses these runes in its propaganda and imagery as a way to demonstrate their admiration for the Nazis and their esoteric neo-Pagan beliefs.