Reading the cases, Joe learns that his father did not solve the cases he considered important, but in the end we see that these cases set a precedent for getting Indians to process cases against those who commit crimes on their land. He relates this to Joe, stating, “These are the decisions that I and many other tribal judges try to make. Solid decisions without scattered opinions. Everything we do, no matter how trivial, must be carefully designed. We are trying to build a solid foundation for our sovereignty here. We try to push the limits of what is allowed to us, to go beyond the limits. Our records will one day be reviewed by Congress and decisions will be made as to whether or not to expand our jurisdiction. (229) Because of these cases, Joe was not able to see at the time how they would affect the lives of the people living on the reservation in the future, but simply that his father was not the man that he thought he was.