Ep. 26: Where the Primeval West Abides

Ep. 26: Where the Primeval West Abides

From The American West by MeatEater

April 21, 2026 · 52 min · Season 1

About this episode

The episode recounts a 12-day river descent through Alaska's Brooks Range, highlighting the pristine wilderness and its threats from oil exploitation.

In the summer of 2019 a small group of us does a 12-day river descent from Alaska’s Brooks Range through the heart of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, experiencing a preserved slice of primeval western America that seems in perpetual danger of being destroyed by humanity’s relentless addiction to oil. Subscribe now wherever you listen to podcasts. YouTube , Spotify , Apple , iHeart , Pandora , Amazon . MeatEater on Instagram , Facebook , Twitter , Youtube , and Youtube Clips Check out more MeatEater's American History audio originals " The Long Hunters " and " Mountain Men " Subscribe to The MeatEater Podcast Network on YouTube Shop  MeatEater Merch See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People in this episode

Host: MeatEater

Topics covered

  • river descent
  • Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
  • primeval west
  • environmental conservation
  • oil addiction

Keywords

  • Alaska
  • Brooks Range
  • Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
  • river descent
  • environmental issues
  • oil
  • primeval west

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Alaska, Brooks Range, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

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