[5] They contrast the traditional focuses of these two systems, characterizing tribal courts as historically emphasizing conciliation and restitution whereas American justice seeks to determine guilt and exact retribution.
[5] They also discuss the role of legal interest groups which have sought to secure rights for indigenous people in the United States, seeking to underscore that those who are under both tribal jurisdiction and American jurisdiction are entitled to the full rights and privileges of any American citizen.
[5] In 1998, Lytle coauthored another book with Vine Deloria, called The Nations Within: The Past and Future of American Indian Sovereignty.
[6] The book discusses tribal decision-making in the context of a highly complicated federalist system, in which tribes are conditionally afforded the rights of self-governance by the American federal government.
[7] Lytle and Deloria chronicle the history of the relevant federal laws and policies, and make suggestions for ways to restructure the federalist system and tribal governance to produce better results.