Mackenzie is a young Cree woman who works as a cashier at a Whole Foods in Vancouver. She left her close-knit rural family in High Prairie after the death of her grandmother because she wanted physical distance to process her sadness. Her quiet life in the city is interrupted by recurring nightmares about her deceased sister Sabrina and ominous visitations from murders of crows. She is highly self-reflective and feels guilty for distancing herself from her relatives.

Mackenzie's mother is a resilient matriarch living in High Prairie. She frequently spends her time driving around the region scavenging for discarded items to repurpose for craft projects. She loves her daughters deeply but struggles to understand why Mackenzie cut herself off from the family after her grandmother's death. Like many women in her family, she experiences prophetic dreams and possesses deep cultural knowledge.

Kassidy is Mackenzie's cousin who still lives in their small rural community. She easily brushes off the racist harassment that Indigenous women frequently face in their town. Kassidy possesses the ability to see the future in her dreams, a trait she shares with other women in the family. She acts as a compassionate bridge between Mackenzie and the relatives she left behind.

Sabrina is Mackenzie's deceased older sister and Tracey's twin. She died of a sudden brain aneurysm a year before the events of the story, passing away in her parked car. In life, she acted as the social glue that held her sisters together. She now appears as a pale, angry figure in Mackenzie's terrifying dreams. She bears a mysterious wound on her collarbone linked to a past family camping trip.

Tracey is Mackenzie's sister and Sabrina's surviving twin. She is tough, resourceful, and capable of protecting herself physically against the hostile oil workers who frequent their town. She previously taught Mackenzie how to headbutt and fight. Tracey was deeply hurt when Mackenzie failed to attend Sabrina's funeral, and she briefly misused alcohol to cope with her twin's death and her own unsettling visions.

The wheetigo is an undead, shape-shifting creature from Indigenous legend that feeds on unchecked greed and despair. It isolates its victims in the freezing cold before attacking them. The creature begins appearing in Mackenzie's nightmares disguised as familiar figures, smelling strongly of blood and pine.

Joli and Dianne are close family friends who live in Vancouver. Dianne, a member of the Squamish First Nation, acts as a surrogate maternal figure for Mackenzie. Joli, Dianne's child, works with Mackenzie at Whole Foods and uses they/them pronouns. Together, they provide Mackenzie with a reliable chosen family and support system while she lives far away from her blood relatives.

Verna and Doreen are Mackenzie's aunts who live in High Prairie. They form a core part of the matriarchal support network. Verna is an avid cook, while Doreen is a high school guidance counselor who creates intricate beadwork art. Both women experience prophetic dreams like the rest of the family. They take Mackenzie's visions seriously and help facilitate her return home.

Brandon is the manager at the Vancouver Whole Foods where Mackenzie and Joli work. He frequently repeats corporate jargon about cooperation and unity but sighs audibly and pushes back when Mackenzie requests unpaid time off to visit her family.