Navigating the spaces between human rights and justice: cultivating Indigenous representation in global environmental governance

How and in what ways do ‘marginalized' actors influence global environmental governance? Through a collaborative event ethnography of the Paris Climate Summit (COP21), we examine power as it emerges through interactions between actors, institutions, and spaces, focusing on Indigenous Peoples’ engagement at the international treaty negotiations. The findings show how Indigenous Peoples generate new meanings and avenues for their pursuits of justice by contesting the production of various forms of rights. In doing so, Indigenous delegates situate power through the politics of representation, carving out distinct political roles in international arenas.