[1][2] Chalcopyrite was found by the Sami Mons Andreas Petersen around 1858,[1] but due to the very remote location of the place there was skepticism that the deposits could be commercially viable.

It was only when the Swedish industrialist and consul Nils Persson gained interest in the ore deposits in 1886 that progress was made in developing mining in Sulitelma.

Sulitjelma was initially an isolated mountain village inhabited by pioneer settlers, but the population increased rapidly in pace with mining, from about 50 around 1890 to almost 3,000 in 1910.

In the winter of 1907, management instigated a new control system, insisting miners wear a numbered lead tag when in the mines.

They met in a large-scale assembly at the only place not owned by the mining company—the ice of Long Lake (Langvatnet)—on January 13, 1907, and founded the first labor union to strike for better conditions and workers' rights.

[8][9][10] Events in the Sulitjelma mines, leading up to the formation of the union are depicted in the Norwegian historical drama The Riot, released in 2023.

Although the Gestapo knew that employees were engaged in illegal activities, they failed to intervene because they feared that the arrest of key personnel would impact production.