Nangohns is the 15-year-old daughter of Evan and Nicole Whitesky, born and raised entirely after the global power outage. Her deep knowledge of the bush and her expertise with a bow and arrow make her an essential asset to her community. Lacking the trauma that burdens the older generation who remember the previous world, she approaches challenges with clear-headed pragmatism. She views the southward expedition not with fear, but as a necessary step to secure a sustainable home for the next generation.

Evan is a recognized leader in the Shki-dnakiiwin community and the chosen guide for the scouting expedition heading south. He carries heavy memories of the violence that erupted during the first winter of the blackout, making him highly protective of his family. He unearths a cache of hidden handguns before leaving, showing his willingness to compromise his peaceful values to ensure the group's safety. He leads collaboratively, often relying on the collective wisdom of his friends and elders.

Tyler is Evan's steadfast best friend and a reliable member of the six-person scouting party. He balances the tension of the expedition with a practical, easygoing nature. Underneath his supportive exterior, he harbors a personal motive for heading south: he wants to uncover the fate of his younger brother, who vanished on a similar mission four years earlier. He mediates conflicts and keeps morale stable on the trail.

Cal is a young, capable hunter who quickly volunteers for the dangerous journey south. He is driven in large part by the desire to locate his missing older brother, who never returned from a past scouting trip. He processes stress externally, often appearing restless, impulsive, and suspicious of the unknown. His hunting skills prove invaluable for feeding the group as they move further away from home.

Amber is the expedition's medicine keeper and midwife, providing vital care and continuity of Anishinaabe traditions. She harvests wild sumac and other natural remedies from the land to keep the travelers healthy. She acts as a calming influence on her partner, Cal, and occasionally struggles with the overwhelming desolation they find in the ruined cities of the south.

J. C. is a respected knowledge-keeper and elder-in-training within the community. He brings historical perspective to the expedition, sharing oral traditions like the cautionary tale of his great-uncle drowning in the river to instill respect for nature. He works closely with Evan to interpret maps and plan the route, functioning as the group's moral and historical compass.

Zhaabdiis is a red-bearded man of Anishinaabe and white descent who was raised by his grandparents in Baawaating. Captured by a white supremacist militia called the Disciples, he hides his Anishinaabe heritage and passes as a white man named O'Brien in order to survive. He waits patiently within the violent group for an opportunity to escape and return to his own people.

Nicole, also known as Niimkiikwe, is the matriarch of the Whitesky family and a respected medicine keeper in Shki-dnakiiwin. She relies on spiritual visions, using her prophetic dream of a purple flower to name her granddaughter. She fears the dangers of the outside world and struggles with the prospect of sending her husband and teenage daughter on the expedition south.

Walter is the eldest and most respected leader of the Shki-dnakiiwin settlement. He recognizes that staying stationary has depleted the local resources and boldly proposes that the community must migrate south to their ancestral lands by the Great Lakes. His historical memory and spiritual authority provide the catalyst for the entire expedition.

Waawaaskone is the newborn daughter of Maiingan and Pichi. Her name, meaning "flower," comes from her grandmother's prophetic dream. She represents the future generation that the Shki-dnakiiwin community is desperately trying to protect and provide for by moving south.

Maiingan is the son of Evan and Nicole, and the older brother of Nangohns. He remains in the northern settlement of Shki-dnakiiwin to care for his partner, Pichi, and their new baby, trusting his father and sister to find a path south.

Pichi is Maiingan's partner. She undergoes a difficult delivery but successfully brings a healthy baby girl into the world with the help of the community's midwives.

Linda, whose Anishinaabe name is Diindiisiikwe (Blue Jay), is an elder and former professor who leads the hidden community of Saswin. She provides the travelers with crucial information about the cause of the global blackout and uses her prophetic dreams to guide her people.

Biiyen is the head scout for the Saswin community. He is initially cautious and demanding, prioritizing the security of his people, but quickly becomes friendly and supportive once the travelers' identities are established.

Meghan is a white woman who arrived in the northern community from the south 12 years earlier. Having witnessed the collapse of the cities and having killed a violent intruder in the past, she knows exactly how dangerous the southern territories are.

Anakwad is an Anishinaabe scout from the island community of Oodenaang. He moves with stealth through the forest and uses a traditional bow and arrows to defend his territory against armed militias.

Giizhik is an Anishinaabe scout and brother to Anakwad. He provides the northern walkers with crucial directions, telling them to follow the birch trees to find their ancestral homeland.

Noodin is a woman who worked as a doctor before the collapse. She now runs a clinic on the island, combining her medical training with the resources available in the post-apocalyptic environment.

Ogimaa is a prominent community member on the island. He extends a warm welcome to the northern travelers, officially offering them and their relatives a permanent, safe home on their ancestral lands.

Holden is a member of the Disciples, a white supremacist militia expanding its territory. He actively enforces the group's violent ideology, demonstrating a willingness to massacre peaceful settlements to claim resources.

Isaiah is Cal's older brother who left the northern community four years prior on an earlier scouting mission. He left behind a trail of items tied to trees in hopes of guiding future travelers.

Kevin is Tyler's younger brother. He joined Isaiah on a scouting mission to find ancestral lands and is revealed to have safely spent a winter in the Saswin community before pressing further south.

Melissa is a tall woman who lives in the thriving Saswin community. She helps facilitate the warm welcome given to the northern walkers, serving meals and participating in traditional ceremonies.

Shkaabewis is one of the scouts in the Saswin community. He works alongside Biiyen to patrol the surrounding forest and intercept potential threats before they reach the settlement.

Sage is a scout at Saswin. She assists the community leadership in identifying newcomers and ensuring the hidden settlement remains secure from violent outsider factions.