Intersectional Framing Strategies by and for Indigenous Youth in Climate Governance

This article examines the role of Indigenous Youth in climate governance through intersectional frames to show how actors strategically construct themselves or are construed by others as holding multiple identities simultaneously. Building on scholarship on climate governance, framing, and intersectionality, we ask how Indigenous Youth are positioned within climate debates and how they strategically represent themselves. The article draws on frame analysis of discursive materials from various climate, youth and Indigenous-themed actors in climate governance and on participant observation at the 2024 United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. We argue that intersectionality is not only an analytical lens for identifying layered exclusion, but also a political framing strategy for inclusion and participation in climate governance. Our findings show important differences in how Indigenous Youth frame themselves, as vulnerable victims and/or empowered agents, compared to when they are framed by other actors. This research contributes to debates on climate governance by foregrounding Indigenous Youth as political actors and accentuating the stakes around their representation and participation in climate governance.