Mongrel Mob Kingdom dumps Nazi 'sieg heil' rallying cry

The world's biggest Mongrel Mob organisation, the Mongrel Mob Kingdom, has moved to sever its association with Nazi Germany.

In the wake of Friday's mosque massacre in Christchurch, The organisation's president, Paito Fatu, confirmed to Te Ao that it no longer uses the term "sieg heil". It has been the rallying cry of the gang for 50 years but Fatu says it's time for another way.

Fatu says the kingdom has a new rallying cry: "I like our brothers and sisters to acknowledge each other by saying 'Mongrel Mob'."

The Mongrel Mob Kingdom is the fastest growing chapter in New Zealand, with more than 400 members locally and 200 from around the world, including Canada, Russia, France and the Solomon Islands.

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Fatu says the stance is part of a transition to a new cause, away from violent crime, domestic violence and drug abuse, and focusing on empowering whānau, women and children.

"It's about a big mind shift. It's about getting out there and doing things productively, constructively and positive to the best of our ability. Doing what everyone else is doing and trying to do a little bit better."

The German phrase "sieg heil" translates as "hail victory".

The Mongrel Mob adopted symbols that were associated with Nazi Germany in the early 1960s, drawing widespread condemnation. Fatu says that was the goal.

"I look at this era as a healing time. When we look back at how we used it, it was rebelling against the system. Anything that the system saw was evil and bad, we [fed] some of those and that was just our way of [giving] the system the finger up."

Twenty-one-year-old Mongrel Mob member Te Taiaha Whero Rehua, or "Doug Dog Taupō", was born into the Taupō chapter. While he welcomes the change, he admits it has taken some getting used to.

"Coming away from sieg heil, I guess I've adapted to it over time. My whole background has always been 'sieg f...... heil' since birth. That's all I ever knew. My old man was a life member of the Mongrel Mob and he's recently died three years ago so it hasn't been easy.

"I didn't really look at it in-depth with Hitler and that sort of stuff. I just grew up knowing it was Mongrel Mob. But it's positive as. It's come away from 'f... the society' and all that sort of stuff."

Paito, who is no longer part of the national organisation, says most regional chapters are not ready to follow suit. But he will not attempt to sway their thoughts.

"When we do engage with other Mob chapters ... most of them will say 'Mongrel Mob'. Hopefully this korero here may resonate to some of our rangatira perhaps outside to our extended families to think about things."

This story first appeared on Māori Television's website and has been republished on Stuff with permission. 

The headline on this story has been updated as Tanieula Fatu previously posted about abandoning 'sieg heil' in 2015.