Several Sámi who settled in Røros were buried here in the upper cemetary in around 1900. One of the gravestones is particularly eye-catching. It is the gravestone of husband and wife Elin Anna, born Duorra in 1874, and Daniel Mortenson, born in 1860.

Elin Anna and Daniel both grew up in reindeer husbandry communities, and reindeer was their basis of existence. The conditions for the families involved in reindeer husbandry around the turn of the century, were tough. They faced great challenges, both due to legislation and strong local pressure. The Reindeer Husbandry Act which was passed at the end of the 1800s, was intended to safeguard the interests of agriculture; not the reindeer husbandry. This had great negative consequences for the reindeer owners.

Daniel Mortenson was active in encouraging the Sámi people to organise, and his efforts led to the establishment of Sámi associations in Trøndelag and in Helgeland in 1907 and 1908. At the first Sámi national congress in Trondheim in 1917, he was elected chairman, and he gave a lecture about the need for a new and fair Reindeer Husbandry Act. He was elected chairman of a separate legal committee, which presented a draft of a new Reindeer Husbandry Act in 1919. The draft act was shelved by the Norwegian authorities.

An important tool for Mortenson in his work to improve conditions for the Sámi community, was the newspaper Waren Sardne, of which he was editor. The purpose of the newspaper was to serve as an information channel for the Sámi population, which was scattered over a large geographical area. His extensive commitment led to reindeer husbandry politics becoming an important issue in the Røros Sámi area.

Daniel Mortenson represented Southern Sámi reindeer herders in many contexts – even for the king and the prime minister. He participated in delegations aimed at making the authorities understand the reindeer owners’ plight. Mortenson also worked hard to influence legislation and the administration of the reindeer husbandry, but he was also involved in other social issues of importance to the Sámi people.

The gravestone of Elin Anna and Daniel Mortenson was erected on the initiative of the Røros Sámi women's association in memory of Daniel Mortenson's efforts to improve the situation for the Sámi in the Southern Sámi area. The association organised a fund-raising event in the Southern Sámi area to fund the gravestone. The gravestone was erected in September 1927, three years after the death of Daniel. The gravestone reads: ‘Those who lead the heated battle – do not triumph, but simply fight and fall.’ Daniel Mortenson was a teacher, a reindeer herder, a newspaper editor, a politician and an organisation founder. His efforts, his belief in the future and his courage motivate the ongoing efforts to secure the basis of existence and the culture of the Røros Sámi.