Narrator
The narrator is unnamed, speaks in the first person, and mostly interacts with Coyote, observing the unfolding of events and telling different stories in an effort to explain them.
Coyote
He is the traditional trickster figure in Native American mythology. He is presented as playful and innocent, but also capable of generating chaos. Coyote is a kind of supernatural being, whose dancing and singing unleashes an earthquake at the end of the novel.
God-Dog
God-Dog is a supernatural figure who arises from a dream Coyote has, and takes on the shape of a dog before assuming the identity of the Judeo-Christian God. In contrast to the supreme wisdom and authority one would expect, God is a childish and irresponsible character who causes trouble for others.
Lionel Red Dog
He is a Blackfoot man who turns 40 years old over the course of the novel. He lives in the town of Blossom and works as an electronics salesman, but has bigger dreams for himself. He is involved with Alberta and hopes that the two of them will someday be in a relationship. He is the cousin of Charlie, and nephew of Eli and Norma.
Norma
A Blackfoot woman, she is the sister of Eli Stands Alone, and the aunt of Lionel and Latisha. She has a lot of wisdom and good advice to offer to the younger generation.
Lone Ranger, Hawkeye, Ishmael, and Robinson Crusoe
They are four Indian elders who escape from a mental institution and set off on a journey intending to fix some parts of the world. The elders seem to be partially supernatural figures and they also interconnect with the four female protagonists of the different creation stories.
Dr. Joseph Hovaugh
He is the doctor who runs the mental hospital from which the Indian elders escape.
Mary
She is Dr. Hovaugh’s assistant.
Alberta Frank
She is a Blackfoot woman who works as a university professor and lives in Calgary. She is divorced and currently romantically involved with both Charlie and Lionel. She wants to have a baby, but does not want to be in a long-term relationship.
Babo Jones
She is a janitor at the mental hospital from which the elders escape. She is questioned about her knowledge of their whereabouts and later accompanies Dr. Hovaugh in his pursuit of them.
Sergeant Cereno
He is the police detective who investigates the escape of the elders.
Camelot
She is the sister of Norma and Eli, and mother to Latisha and Lionel.
First Woman
A figure in the first creation story, she is associated with the Lone Ranger.
Charlie Looking Bear
He is a Blackfoot man who lives in Edmonton, where he works as a lawyer. He is the son of Portland, who worked as a movie actor. He is romantically involved with Alberta and would like the relationship to become more serious.
Ahdamn
He is a male character from the first creation story, who accompanies First Woman on her adventures.
Dr. John Eliot
He is a colleague of Dr. Hovaugh at the mental institution.
Bill Bursum
He is a white man who owns a large electronics store in the town of Blossom. He is Lionel's boss.
Bob
He is Alberta's ex-husband.
Amos
He is Alberta's father, who was an alcoholic and neglected his family.
Ada
She is Alberta's mother.
Jimmy Delano
He is another police officer who helps with investigating the disappearance of the elders by questioning Babo.
Changing Woman
She is the protagonist of the second creation story.
Latisha
She is Lionel's sister. She is a single mother to three children, and runs a successful restaurant, the Dead Dog Cafe.
Rita, Billy, and Cynthia
They are the other employees of the Dead Dog Cafe.
Eli Stands Alone
He is a Blackfoot man, the brother of Norma and Camelot, and the uncle of Latisha and Lionel. For many years, he lived in Toronto and worked as a professor of literature, but he eventually returned to the reservation where he has been working to prevent the use of the dam.
Clifford Sifton
He is an employee of the corporation that built the dam. He regularly visits and talks with Eli, and the two have a friendly but ambivalent relationship since Cliff wants Eli to give up on his attempts to stop the dam.
Minnie Smith
She is Bursum's assistant at the electronics store.
George Morningstar
He is Latisha's ex-husband, a white American man who physically abuses her.
Portland Looking Bear
He is the father of Charlie and a film actor who capitalizes on his heritage to play Indian roles but then finds himself limited.
Karen
She is Eli's wife and a wealthy white woman, who eventually dies in a car accident.
C.B. Cologne
C.B. Cologne is another actor who is a friend of Portland.
Christian, Benjamin, and Elizabeth
They are Latisha's three young children.
Thought Woman
She is the protagonist of the third creation story.
Connie
She is the police officer who helps Alberta after her car disappears.
Old Woman
She is the protagonist of the fourth and final creation story.
