The ASU Indigenous Design Collaborative with the support of the City of Tempe won the NEA Our Town Grant July 2021 which proposed a grant response that was inspired by the City of Auckland’s TeAranga Design Principles. The ASU IDC alongside local SRPMIC/GRIC/TO/PYT artists, designers, and experts, began to develop a set of localized value-based and outcome-oriented design principles through a series of think tank engagements. Initial conversations were focused on the need to avoid a pan indigenous approach and instead uplift the distinct territory of the O’odham and Piipaash groups. The outcome of these think tank sessions led to the simultaneous creation of HEKIU “ indigenous artist continuum”.

HEKIU (meaning past in the O’odham language) references all of the ancient past. This includes all the histories of the land beginning with O’odham presence, Piipaash groups later settling in the area, Yoeme populations migrating up from the south, and non-indigenous settlers coming into the area. The purpose of HEKIU is to create accessibility for O’odham, Piipaash, Yoeme, and indigenous creatives to gather and connect through creative and artistic opportunities. The groups intends to: (1) support, advocate, and develop a resource group for creatives in this territory; (2) advise, consult, and provide resources for projects of various scales; and (3) connect and create partnerships with tribal entities.

This document has been prepared by HEKIU in collaboration with the ASU IDC and the support of the City of Tempe to provide a set of distinct indigenous principles that can inform different processes of urban design development and creative opportunities to re-integrate indigenous narratives into the context of Tempe and beyond for the benefit of the next generations to inhabit the territory. The principles outlined include tangible and intangible outcomes through a multi-layered process to achieve mutual benefits between indigenous populations and supporting stakeholders.