Native News
Tunnel to Towers Brings 9/11 Memorial Tour to Salt River for First Stop on Sovereign Tribal Land
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation’s “Steel Across America” tour will make a historic stop at the USS Arizona Memorial Gardens at Salt River on Tuesday, June 17, marking the first and only visit on sovereign tribal land during the nationwide journey commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Beginning at 5 p.m. MST, the free public ceremony will feature a 16,900-pound steel beam recovered from the original World Trade Center. The event will be held at the USS Arizona Memorial Gardens at Salt River, located within the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community outside Scottsdale.
The cross-country tour, which spans more than 10,500 miles and includes more than 35 stops across 21 states through Sept. 11, offers the public a rare opportunity to see one of the surviving artifacts from the World Trade Center firsthand.
According to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, the Arizona stop represents “a historic milestone” as the tour’s only stop on sovereign tribal land. The foundation said it is honored to bring the steel beam to the homeland of the Onk Akimel O’Odham (Pima) and Xalychidom Piipaash (Maricopa) people, who have lived in the Salt River area for more than 4,000 years.
The foundation also noted the long history of Native American military service, stating that American Indians and Alaska Natives serve in the U.S. Armed Forces at rates five times the national average and have fought with distinction in every major American conflict for more than two centuries.
“It is only fitting that Steel Across America, a tour dedicated to honoring those who serve and sacrifice, make this historic visit to a community whose tradition of service to this nation is unmatched,” the foundation said.
The USS Arizona Memorial Gardens at Salt River is home to the largest piece of the USS Arizona displayed outside Hawaii. For the first time, steel from the World Trade Center will be exhibited alongside a section of the battleship destroyed during the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.
“Both artifacts represent moments that tested the very soul of this nation, moments that demanded everything of the Americans who responded, and moments that this country has solemnly pledged to carry forward in memory forever,” the foundation said.
Earlier in the day, the World Trade Center steel beam will also be on display from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. MST at the Hall of Flame Museum of Firefighting in Phoenix. Museum admission is required for viewing.
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation is inviting residents of Scottsdale, Phoenix, and surrounding communities to participate in the day’s events to honor the heroes who responded on Sept. 11, 2001, and recognize those who continue to serve the nation.
EVENT DETAILS
T2T Steel Across America – Scottsdale, AZ
Where: USS Arizona Memorial Gardens at Salt River
Address: 7455 N Pima Road, Scottsdale, AZ, 85258
Date: June 17, 2026