Non-state Actor’s representation and inclusion within climate governance has gained attention in recent scholarly, and political work. However, scholars have argued, that despite significant evidence, that Indigenous people add value to climate governance, their representation and inclusion have remained narrow. Within discourse, their voices remain excluded, and references to traditional knowledge and structural colonial difficulties endure to be limited. 

Hence, this thesis seeks to scrutinize the inclusion of indigenous people in the Arctic Region. By investigating the national Arctic Strategies of five chosen Arctic countries, the thesis attempts to unravel the extent to which indigenous people are being included through the investigation of their portrayal, inclusion of their knowledge, and the addressing of colonial complexities. By drawing on a combined framework of content analysis and discourse analysis the thesis examines inclusions and omissions of the strategies. Utilizing post-colonial, and de-colonial theoretical tools enables the research to detect a positive shift on IP inclusion, however, there are remaining inconsistencies in IP inclusion hindering holistic and transformative policy, and decision-making. From a de-colonial perspective, this thesis advocates for recognizing power and hierarchies in knowledge, and IP portrayal within International relations, and climate governance studies.