Indigenous peoples constitute a very significant part of the population of the Arctic region. This piece examines how their rights under international Indigenous rights law end up limiting centralized state power in complex and contextualized ways but with an overall tendency to promote decentralization in favour of Arctic regions of states. To do so, the piece first sets out some background on international Indigenous rights law. Then it briefly examines some implications for Arctic states of several specific Indigenous rights. Finally, it considers broader implications, advancing the theory that the presence of Indigenous peoples as a significant part of the Arctic population combined with international Indigenous rights law has decentralizing implications in favour of Arctic regions over centralized state power.