2016 was a momentous year for both the world as well as the North American continent.
The United States and Canada both saw a strong upswing in resistance by Native American and First Nations peoples to the continued legacies of genocide, colonialism, and land theft, as well as the reckless exploitation of remaining native territories by extractive industries.
Both countries also experienced extreme weather events related to the El Niño climate cycle as well as global warming.
The United States witnessed the continuation of the powerful struggle by Black communities against police terror and state violence, with high-profile officer-committed killings galvanizing grassroots rage and new waves of social movement organizing.
Electoral politics consumed the attention of people in the United States, as the hopes of a youthful left-wing reform movement were dashed amidst the dramatic rise and humiliating defeat of liberal Democratic socialist Bernie Sanders by a Democratic Party establishment acting in favor of preferred candidate Hillary Clinton.
Clinton herself subsequently faced a crushing defeat on Election Day at the hands of eclectic billionaire Republican candidate Donald Trump, who rode to victory on a right-wing platform steeped in immigrant-bashing, dog-whistle racism, and "America First" rhetoric that has caused anxiety not only in oppressed communities within the United States but in foreign capitals as well, who are preparing themselves for the potential repercussions of President-elect Trump's unpredictable and tough-talking foreign policies.
As 2016 draws to a close, teleSUR takes a look at the year's shocking, empowering, and troubling moments in the United States and Canada.