Tayo is a young Laguna Pueblo veteran who recently returned from World War II. Struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder and the loss of his cousin Rocky, he attempts to numb his pain with alcohol. As a man of mixed heritage born to a Laguna Pueblo mother and an unnamed white father, he often feels alienated from the white world and his own community. He receives psychological therapy at a veterans' hospital before returning to the reservation, where he initially rejects traditional healing methods.

Ts'eh is a mysterious woman who lives near Mount Taylor. She strikes up a romantic relationship with Tayo while he searches for his uncle's stolen cattle. Implied to be a mythical animal person connected to the land, she embodies the matriarchal values of Laguna Pueblo culture. She provides Tayo with shelter and shares her understanding of the natural world.

Emo is a Laguna Pueblo veteran in his mid-to-late twenties who served on Wake Island. He views his military service as the peak of his life, cherishing the brutal glory and temporary respect it afforded him in white society. Consumed by a colonialist mindset, he bitterly resents Tayo's mixed heritage. He carries a bag of teeth taken from dead Japanese soldiers as a war trophy and actively provokes fights at the local bar.

Rocky is Tayo's cousin. He grew up in the same household and treated Tayo like a brother. Before dying as a prisoner of war during the Bataan Death March, Rocky believed deeply in assimilation. He strove to leave the reservation to earn money in mainstream white society. He frequently dismissed traditional Laguna Pueblo practices in favor of scientific books and modern methods.

Josiah is Tayo's uncle who steps in as a surrogate father during Tayo's childhood. Determined to provide financial security for his family during a severe drought, he invests his life savings into a herd of resilient Mexican cattle. He believes these cattle can survive the harsh reservation conditions. He passes away while Tayo is deployed, leaving his agricultural dream unfinished.

Betonie is an eccentric medicine man living on the margins of society in Gallup. Unlike traditional healers, Betonie believes ceremonies must evolve to combat modern forces of destruction. He possesses a deep understanding of the systemic roots of the veterans' trauma. He initiates a specialized Scalp Ceremony for Tayo to help him process his wartime experiences.

Night Swan is a Mexican cantina dancer who retires to Cubero after a career dancing across the American Southwest. Confident and unapologetic about her identity, she faces judgment from the local women. She encourages a young Tayo to accept his mixed heritage before he departs for the military. She mysteriously vanishes following Josiah's death.

Auntie Thelma is Tayo's strict aunt who helps raise him alongside her biological son, Rocky. Deeply concerned with her family's social standing on the reservation, she views Tayo's mixed heritage and trauma with persistent suspicion. She strongly disapproves of her brother Josiah's relationship with a Mexican dancer.

Harley is an Indigenous WWII veteran who copes with his trauma through relentless alcohol consumption. He acts as an enabler for his friends. He frequently pressures Tayo to leave his bed and join the destructive drinking sessions at the local bars. When stripped of transportation, he stubbornly rides a burro long distances to drink.

Leroy is a Laguna Pueblo veteran who spends his post-war days drinking heavily with Emo and Harley. Lacking clear direction in civilian life, he closely follows Emo's lead. He participates in the toxic camaraderie that keeps the veterans trapped in their past experiences.

Ku'oosh is an elderly medicine man from the Laguna Pueblo reservation. He attempts to heal Tayo with traditional stories and ceremonies shortly after Tayo returns home. Because his ideas about warfare are old-fashioned, he struggles to comprehend the mechanized brutality of World War II. His methods prove ineffective for Tayo's modern trauma.

Robert is Auntie Thelma's husband. He plays a steady, supportive role within the family household. He assists Tayo with practical matters, such as helping him transport the recovered cattle back to the reservation.

Grandmother is an elder in the family household who provides a steady presence for Tayo upon his return from the hospital. She initiates Tayo's healing process by requesting that Ku'oosh visit him, supporting the use of medicine men to treat his illness.

Laura is Tayo's mother. She struggled with life on the reservation and eventually moved to Gallup, where she engaged in sex work to survive. She raised Tayo in severe poverty under a bridge before leaving him in the care of her family.

Helen Jean is an Indigenous woman who previously engaged in sex work to support her family. She goes out drinking with Harley, Leroy, and Tayo but quickly grows tired of the veterans' inability to move past their wartime glory. She abandons the group for other men at the bar.

Pinkie is Tayo's cousin who herded the family's sheep before the severe drought. He frequently stole and sold the sheep for personal gain. Later, he associates closely with Emo and acts as his subordinate.

Floyd Lee is a white rancher who possesses Josiah's stolen cattle. He surrounds his property with an expensive, high-tech fence specifically designed to keep Indigenous people off his land.

Thought-Woman is the creator figure in traditional Laguna Pueblo stories. Featured in the opening verse section, she thinks the world into existence, framing Tayo's physical journey as part of a larger mythological reality.

Mountain Lion is a legendary hunter who appears to Tayo in both animal and human forms. He startles Tayo near the stolen cattle but ultimately serves as a protector. He draws the attention of patrolmen away from Tayo, allowing him to escape the fenced property safely.

Hummingbird is a mythical figure in the traditional verse stories. He works to appease Corn Mother and purify the town after a witch deceives the people into using dark magic.

Greenbottle Fly is a messenger created from mountain dirt in the traditional verse stories. He accompanies Hummingbird on the quest to end the mythical drought.

Corn Mother is a mythical figure who stops blessing the crops and leaves for the Fourth World after the people turn to dark magic. She demands the town be purified before she returns the rain clouds.