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 to 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.
