Last January, KAIROS released its wish list for the year -- 10-plus-one hopes for the federal government and the provinces to fulfill. Two of these were realized: the Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls was launched and a national, rising price on carbon that integrates with provincial carbon pricing mechanisms was announced.

Fishing is as emblematic to Canada as ice hockey. It's also a way of life with a long tradition in coastal Indigenous communities. But since European contact, it's been all but eliminated as an economic development opportunity for them.

As Canada struggles to come to terms with reconciliation, court cases are helping define what Indigenous rights and title mean in day-to-day life. If the federal government is serious about its commitment to a new and respectful relationship with Indigenous peoples, it should set the tone through policies that address historic injustices, such as in commercial fishing practices.

I care about the safety and well being of my family, my friends and my community. I want to live on a planet that is healthy, strong and economically and environmentally resilient. We know that our future is being threatened by the climate crisis. So when I hear that new fossil fuel infrastructure is still being approved by the Canadian government despite mass opposition from Indigenous and non-Indigenous community members, in 2016, it frustrates me.