Combining qualitative research, personal experience, and scholarly literature Ross Green looks at the evolution of the Canadian criminal justice system and the values upon which it is based against the Aboriginal concepts of justice. Using his personal experiences as a defence lawyer, case studies of several communities, as well as interviews with judges, prosecutors, community leaders, and participants in sentencing circles, sentencing panels, and mediation committees, Green approaches the criminal justice system from multiple angles. Against this backdrop, he analyzes the successes of and challenges to the innovative sentencing approaches currently evolving in Aboriginal communities.