An Alaska Native tribal council greenlit a gold mine. Some tribal members aren’t happy.

This story was produced by Grist and co-published with Alaska Public Media.

People in Alaska’s rugged Interior have long known the hills surrounding the Native Village of Tetlin hid gold. As tribal member Kevin Gunter grew up, his elders told him such riches should be left alone. Nothing good would come of digging them up, they warned. Now, Gunter fears what might happen as an open-pit mine comes to his tribe’s land. 

Kinross, the majority owner and operator of the project...