I am amazed by these wonderful architectural monuments built by a great civilization that was once treated like savages. Their work is clear evidence that they were competent and hardworking individuals. Obviously, the European conquistadors who colonized them did not understand the culture and way of life of the Native Americans and decided to "civilize" them. I am also saddened by the continued destruction of these sophisticated earth mounds that Native Americans worked for. In the article, Kassabaum expresses his appreciation for the Cahokia excavations because they led to the discovery of the lives of its inhabitants. I believe his statement is a poor excuse to destroy these magnificent creations and in my opinion I think they should stop destroying these historic man-made mounds and start preserving them since their history is no longer a mystery For