Tony Davis’ article, “A Thirst for Growth,”
once again reminds me that history does repeat itself if we
don’t heed the warnings left by our predecessors (HCN,
8/30/04: A Thirst for Growth). I think back on family trips to Mesa
Verde and Chaco Canyon in the late 1960s. At the time, the big
unanswered question, invariably asked by the National Park Service
guides, was, “What caused the Anasazi Indians who once flourished
in these areas to disappear?” I hope modern anthropologists are
paying close attention, because unless environmental conditions
change for the better and we somehow find the political backbone
and leadership to check uncontrolled population growth in the West,
many communities are on the verge of finding out exactly what
happened to the Anasazi Indians.
Dan Neher
Lakewood, California
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline History repeats itself.
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