Highway 66: Obliteration of History and Complexity on the "Mother Road"
In the vast expanse of New Mexico and Texas, a stretch of land once bustling with life now stands as a testament to time and change. Glenrio, a town straddling the two states along Route 66, has been a ghost town since the late 1980s. The same Route 66 that once attracted travelers seeking a nostalgia-latent adventure now leads to abandoned and dilapidated towns, like Glenrio, that whisper tales of a bygone era.
Glenrio, a stopover after the migration of the Dust Bowl Crisis died down in the late 1930s, showcases the slow decay of stucco and cement, giving way to adobe infrastructures and left-behind artifacts. Today, it serves as a tourist attraction, often found on "Best Ghost Towns Along Route 66" lists, where road-trippers stop along the way to catch a glimpse of quaint simplicity frozen in time.
However, the land of plenty that enticed migrants to California in the 1930s faces droughts, wildfires, and record-breaking flooding. Jody Risley, the Director at Cimaron Heritage Center in Boise City, Oklahoma, states that Oklahoma is in a seven-year drought, which is drier than it ever was during the Dust Bowl Crisis. Much more of America is destined to become ghost towns due to detrimental shifts in regional climates.
Amidst this landscape, a beacon of hope emerges in the form of Tesh Jennings Sakpal, a queer rancher in Tucumcari, New Mexico. Jennings Sakpal is engaging in regenerative farming to safeguard their land and grow food. Their land is set up for irrigation water, but the levels have been so low that their systems haven't been useful in the past three years.
The projected population of the world by 2050 is 9.8 billion. With the increasing demand for food and resources, it is crucial that farmers like Jennings Sakpal adopt sustainable farming practices. The Institute for Economics and Peace predicts that by 2050, there will be 1.2 billion climate refugees, further emphasising the need for regenerative farming to protect land and ensure food security.
However, the journey is not without challenges. Agriculture is dying in some areas due to a lack of water. Jennings Sakpal has seen towns around them dissipate due to a lack of opportunities in agricultural communities. The same Indigenous Americans who were pushed off their land are stereotyped and appropriated as tourist attractions along Route 66. Sun-bleached billboards boasting "Traditional Indian Trading Posts" and the "World's Largest Teepee" ignore the nuance and cultural diversity between tribes along Route 66.
Despite these challenges, Jennings Sakpal remains steadfast in their mission to protect their land and promote regenerative farming. Their story serves as a reminder of the resilience of the human spirit and the importance of sustainable practices in the face of climate change and environmental degradation.
The Cimarron Heritage Center in Boise City, Oklahoma, houses a genuine schoolhouse-turned-home from the original Dust Bowl, as well as tractors that broke the plains, causing the Crisis. It stands as a testament to the past and serves as a reminder of the lessons we must learn to ensure a sustainable future.
In the end, the story of Glenrio and Tesh Jennings Sakpal is not just about the past and the present, but also about the future. It is a call to action for all of us to adopt sustainable practices, protect our land, and ensure a future where everyone has access to food and resources.
