American Indian Veteran's Memorial Organization

American Indian Veteran's Memorial Organization American Indian Veteran’s Memorial Organization in Arizona (AIVMO) The memorial will be built at the west end of Steele Indian School next to Hummingbird Lake.

In the early 1990s, Kent Ware, Sr., a highly decorated World War II veteran and respected elder of the Kiowa tribe, and members of the Phoenix Indian community, founded the American Indian Veteran's Memorial Organization (AIVMO) with a dream of building a memorial to honor American Indian veterans of all wars. They wanted to provide a place for veterans, their families, loved ones, and survivors t

o gather and pay tribute to our veterans. 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. Renowned Hopi architect, 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, which acts as a guide for bringing the spirits of all beloved warriors home. As the late Numkena 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." Ware, a member of the Kiowa Black Leggings Warrior Society and founder of the Arizona Territory Gourd Society, and members of the Phoenix American Indian Community, 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 is currently raising 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.

Thank you to everyone who donated to AIVMO. We received a final tremendous contribution from a wonderful donor, and have...
01/10/2025

Thank you to everyone who donated to AIVMO. We received a final tremendous contribution from a wonderful donor, and have met our goal so we can move forward to break ground and begin constuction on the memorial later this year.

We appreciate everyone who contributed in both big and small ways. Your help means so much!

01/07/2025

SAVE THE DATE! We are excited to announce that our Annual Two Spirit Powwow will be returning for 2025! We hope to see you there at South Mountain Community College on Feb. 22, 2025. Keep a lookout for more information about this coming soon. For more information contact 602-264-6768 or email [email protected]. Visit PhxIndCenter.org to learn more about our programs, events, and services.

Remembering Pearl Harbor and honoring our veterans.
12/07/2024

Remembering Pearl Harbor and honoring our veterans.

12/07/2024

Thank you Paula L. Pedene for sharing the AIVMO story!

11/30/2024
11/30/2024

SAVE THE DATE: Phoenix Indian Center will be hosting our Winter 2025 Round Dance on Saturday, January 18, 2025. More details to come!

Date: Saturday January 18, 2025
Time: 5PM-10PM
Location: TBD

To learn more about upcoming events, visit us at https://phxindcenter.org/

Celebrating and honoring our veterans at the Arizona Territory Gourd Society’s Annual Veterans Day Gourd Dance at S’edav...
11/14/2024

Celebrating and honoring our veterans at the Arizona Territory Gourd Society’s Annual Veterans Day Gourd Dance at S’edav Va’aki Museum (formerly Pueblo Grande Museum).

Address

P. O. Box 6123
Scottsdale, AZ
85261

Telephone

(480) 951-2910

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Honoring American Indian Veterans

“The American Indian Veterans Memorial Organization is created to establish a memorial to honor the American Indian veterans of all wars and to establish a place for such veterans, their families, and friends to gather, and pay tribute to living and deceased American Indian veterans.”

The proposed American Indian Veterans Memorial will be located in Steele Indian School Park, at a prominent site west of the hummingbird-shaped pond – forever symbolizing peace and healing. The promontory will gracefully offer ever-lasting and timeless visibility for the memorial.

With the creation of Steele Indian School Park, the City of Phoenix embarked on a unique and provoking task of creating a community park that represents the indigenous principles of balance and interconnectedness. Its beginnings are rooted in the circle, a common concept to all tribes and even to the City of Phoenix in its pursuits towards the future. The memorial will be juxtaposed next to a body of water.