Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share Utqiagvik, Alaska
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
Utqiagvik, Alaska
Utqiagvik: The Top of the World, Where America Ends and the Dark Begins
There is no road to Utqiagvik. There never has been, and likely never will be. To reach the northernmost city in the United States, you must fly over hundreds of miles of roadless tundra or arrive by barge during the brief summer window when the Arctic Ocean isn't frozen solid.
In this episode of Drive-Thru Towns, host Andrew Wilcox journey’s to the edge of the world. While Utqiagvik (formerly Barrow) might look like a temporary pioneer outpost to the uninitiated, it is actually one of the oldest permanent settlements in North America, with a history of Iñupiat habitation stretching back to 500 AD.
We explore the duality of a place that endures 65 days of total polar night and 80 days of never-setting sun. From the tragic 1935 plane crash that claimed the lives of American icons Will Rogers and Wiley Post to the "Cold War miracle" of 1988 where Soviet and American crews joined forces to save trapped whales, Utqiagvik is a place where history is as deep as the permafrost.
65 Days of Night: Why the polar dark isn't something the Iñupiat "endure," but rather a culturally significant season for storytelling and community.
The Rogers-Post Crash: The story of the Iñupiat hunter who witnessed the death of a national icon in a frozen lagoon 15 miles from town.
The 1961 "Duck-In": One of the earliest Native civil rights protests in American history, where the community defied federal hunting bans to protect their food security.
Operation Breakthrough: How two trapped gray whales briefly thawed the Cold War in 1988, capturing the world's attention.
Reclaiming the Name: The 2016 vote to restore the name Utqiagvik—"the place to gather wild roots"—and reject the name of a British bureaucrat who never visited.
If you’re drawn to the stories of the Far North and the resilience of the people who call the Arctic home, follow the show on Spotify.
Instagram: @50statefamily
LinkedIn: Andrew Wilcox
Email: [email protected]
Host: Andrew Wilcox
Theme Music: Special thanks to Chloe Jones for the music Explore more at chloejonesmusic.co.uk.
View all episodes
By Andrew WilcoxUtqiagvik: The Top of the World, Where America Ends and the Dark Begins
There is no road to Utqiagvik. There never has been, and likely never will be. To reach the northernmost city in the United States, you must fly over hundreds of miles of roadless tundra or arrive by barge during the brief summer window when the Arctic Ocean isn't frozen solid.
In this episode of Drive-Thru Towns, host Andrew Wilcox journey’s to the edge of the world. While Utqiagvik (formerly Barrow) might look like a temporary pioneer outpost to the uninitiated, it is actually one of the oldest permanent settlements in North America, with a history of Iñupiat habitation stretching back to 500 AD.
We explore the duality of a place that endures 65 days of total polar night and 80 days of never-setting sun. From the tragic 1935 plane crash that claimed the lives of American icons Will Rogers and Wiley Post to the "Cold War miracle" of 1988 where Soviet and American crews joined forces to save trapped whales, Utqiagvik is a place where history is as deep as the permafrost.
65 Days of Night: Why the polar dark isn't something the Iñupiat "endure," but rather a culturally significant season for storytelling and community.
The Rogers-Post Crash: The story of the Iñupiat hunter who witnessed the death of a national icon in a frozen lagoon 15 miles from town.
The 1961 "Duck-In": One of the earliest Native civil rights protests in American history, where the community defied federal hunting bans to protect their food security.
Operation Breakthrough: How two trapped gray whales briefly thawed the Cold War in 1988, capturing the world's attention.
Reclaiming the Name: The 2016 vote to restore the name Utqiagvik—"the place to gather wild roots"—and reject the name of a British bureaucrat who never visited.
If you’re drawn to the stories of the Far North and the resilience of the people who call the Arctic home, follow the show on Spotify.
Instagram: @50statefamily
LinkedIn: Andrew Wilcox
Email: [email protected]
Host: Andrew Wilcox
Theme Music: Special thanks to Chloe Jones for the music Explore more at chloejonesmusic.co.uk.