In the early 1990s, Kent Ware, Sr., a highly decorated World War II veteran and respected elder of the Kiowa tribe, had a vision of creating a memorial to honor his fellow American Indian veterans at a location that would become Steele Indian School Park. The park now sits on the land that once was once home to the Phoenix Indian School, a boarding school for American Indians from around the country that operated from around 1891 until the Federal Government closed it in 1990.
Ware founded AIVMO in 1996, with a dream to build a memorial in honor of the American Indian veterans of all wars. He wanted to provide a place for veterans, their families, loved ones, and survivors to gather and pay tribute to both living and deceased soldiers. AIVMO was granted a site to build the memorial at Steele Indian School Park under a Memorandum of Understanding with the City of Phoenix, Parks and Recreation Department in 1998.
Renowned Hopi artist, veteran, and Phoenix Indian School graduate, Dennis Numekena, designed the memorial to capture the spirit of the eagle and incorporate the four elements of creation: fire, water, earth, and air. Using these ceremonial elements in the design gives it a sense of American Indian spirituality, to act as a guide for bringing the spirits of all beloved warriors home.
As the late Numekena described in writings about the memorial’s design, “A circle within circles represents our Mother Earth, who gave us our first breath and to whom we dedicate our last breath. A pool of water symbolizes that which nourishes our body, soul and spirit. A breath of fire brings the intensity of our being and purpose to its spiritual finality. The blowing wind guides our spirits to other and further dimensions.” The Steele Indian School Park itself is rooted in a circle, a common concept to all tribes, and even to the City of Phoenix itself as it moves towards the future. The memorial will be juxtaposed next to a body of water, Steele Indian School Pond.
Ware, a member of the Kiowa Black Leggings Warrior Society and founder of the Arizona Territory Gourd Society, worked tirelessly to make the memorial a reality until his death. The project lay dormant for many years, but now the legacy of AIVMO lives on through his son, Kent Ware II, who continues efforts to raise funds to build the memorial. The original architectural design has been altered by Navajo architect, Richard Begay, a partner of SPS+Architects in Scottsdale, to better fit the site.
Preparing to Break Ground
The construction plans for the site of the American Indian Veteran’s Memorial have been approved by the City of Phoenix and AIVMO, and they are working to begin construction in 2025 on a prominent site west of the hummingbird-shaped pond. This elegant structure will forever symbolize peace and healing, gracefully offering everlasting and timeless visibility to honor American Indian Veterans from all wars and every tribe.
AIVMO is currently working with tribes throughout Arizona to raise funds for the project. Key financial supporters include the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community, the Tohono O’odham Nation, the Gila River Indian Community, the Ak-Chin Indian Community, and the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation. They are extremely grateful to the Native American Indian community for their support, and to local donor Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust.
Help Build the American Indian Veteran’s Memorial by Buying a Brick
So far, AIVMO has raised over $500,000, but they need help to reach their fundraising goal of $700,000 to begin building the memorial. You can help support this important memorial by contributing a tax-deductible donation to AIVMO. A gift of any amount can make a difference towards helping them reach their goal of breaking ground in 2025.
Donations can be made directly to the American Indian Veterans Memorial Organization, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, through their GoFundMe account: https://www.gofundme.com/f/AIVMO-Arizona
You can also purchase a personalized brick for $150.00, which will be laid in a special area of the memorial. Contact AIVMO by email at [email protected], or call (480) 951-2910, and visit their website for more information: aivmoaz.org. The AIVMO organizers are happy to schedule speaking engagements and in person meetings to discuss the American Indian Veterans Memorial.
The American Indian Veterans Memorial Organization (AIVMO) was created to establish a memorial to honor the American Indian veterans of all wars and to establish a place for these veterans, their families, and friends to gather, and pay tribute to living and deceased American Indian veterans. For more information about AIVMO, please call (480) 951-2910 or visit their website: www.aivmoaz.org.