Season 12 - Mountain Migrations

The Westerners

A new book, "The Westerners: Mythmaking and Belonging on the American Frontier," weaves together the stories of seven historical characters as they crisscross the American West in the 1800s. Some of them, like Sacajawea, you’ll recognize. Pulitzer-finalist Megan Kate Nelson says there are others we should know more about, but just don’t. We discuss why setting Western history straight is so crucial to the American project. Visit her website

Love Songs

Love stories set in the American West are often extra romantic and heart-wrenching because of all the moving around the lovers are forced into. Jenny and Brian Drollinger’s story takes them to every nook of the American West. But they actually met in high school in Alaska. It’s a real-life 80s rom-com, with all the miscommunications, near misses, and twists of fate.

A person wearing a cap and glasses standing outdoors during daytime, reaching up with a pole to pick fruit from a tree branch against a background of mountains and a clear sky.
Group of people gathered outdoors during daytime, with some taking photos or videos of a bear. The scene includes children and adults, some wearing hats and sunglasses, with a bear walking near them on a paved area. There are trees and mountains in the background under a partly cloudy sky.
Archaeologists excavating an archaeological site with tools and measuring equipment, with orange buckets nearby, under an outdoor setting.
Children participating in a cultural celebration, with a traditional Chinese lion dance costume, and a statue of a man on a pedestal in the background, set outdoors during daytime.
Person holding a plastic bag containing a metal object outdoors. The person has tattoos on their arm and is wearing a black t-shirt with colorful graphics.
Two men are working with a calf at a farm, with one man holding the calf in a cattle chute and the other standing nearby. There are mountains in the background and a blue sky.