Thomas is a 32-year-old Spokane Indian who serves as the reservation's storyteller. He is deeply lonely and isolated. Despite frequent bullying from his peers, he maintains a compassionate nature and believes strongly in the healing power of music and stories. He forms the rock band Coyote Springs after obtaining a magical guitar.

Victor is a volatile Spokane Indian who dresses in decades-old clothing due to severe poverty. He struggles heavily with alcoholism and directs much of his frustration at Thomas. He serves as the highly skilled guitarist for the newly formed Coyote Springs band.

Junior holds a rare position on the reservation delivering water to drought-stricken areas. He struggles with alcoholism and carries the emotional weight of his parents dying in a car crash. As the drummer for Coyote Springs, he is deeply loyal to his best friend Victor while remaining introspective about his own past.

Sheridan is a predatory record executive from New York who operates with cold business tactics. He views the band entirely as an angle to exploit for profit. He shares the exact name of a historical military general who murdered Native Americans.

Wright is a New York record executive who travels to the reservation. He evaluates Coyote Springs for a potential contract. Like his partner, he shares the name of a notorious military general and represents the corporate exploitation of Native culture.

Chess grew up in extreme poverty following the death of her baby brother and her mother leaving the family. She joins Coyote Springs as a singer and keyboard player. She holds strong convictions about relationships between Indian men and white women.

Checkers is a young Flathead Indian woman known for her striking beauty. She joins the band alongside her sister but wrestles intensely with her complex feelings toward men. She possesses a deep Catholic faith that frequently brings her to the reservation church.

Robert is an ancient blues musician who arrives on the Spokane Indian Reservation seeking refuge. He carries the heavy regret of selling his soul decades ago for musical talent. He hopes to find a mythical figure on the mountain who can relieve him of his cursed guitar.

Big Mom is a mystical figure who lives in a blue house atop Wellpinit Mountain. She has watched over the reservation for centuries. She uses her immense power to teach famous musicians and heal her people through song.

Father Arnold is the white Catholic priest assigned to the reservation church. He genuinely cares for his Indian parishioners and provides a supportive presence. His faith faces significant tests through his interactions with the local community.

Betty is a white bookstore owner who harbors a superficial fascination with Native American culture. She briefly joins the band's periphery as a backup singer. She is drawn to the romanticized idea of reservation life rather than its harsh realities.

Veronica is a white woman who owns a Seattle bookstore and travels to the reservation out of curiosity. She quickly embeds herself with the band members. She treats the experience entirely as cultural tourism.

Lynn is Junior's former college girlfriend. She became pregnant but refused to marry him because he was Native American, leaving a lasting emotional scar on him.

David is the Spokane Tribal Council Chairman. He is frequently angry and holds a long-standing grudge against Thomas. He spends much of his time worrying about his volatile nephew who just returned from prison.

Michael is David's nephew who recently finished a prison sentence. His presence intimidates almost everyone on the reservation. He carries a reputation for violence that he refuses to abandon.

Lester is the reservation's town drunk. He serves as a fixture of the community's day-to-day life. He shares a long history with the older generation of reservation residents.

Samuel is Thomas's alcoholic father. Once a skilled basketball champion in his youth, he suffered mistreatment at the hands of local authorities. He completely succumbed to severe drinking after his wife's passing.

Simon is a reservation resident known for his eccentric habit of driving his car entirely backwards. He adds to the unique daily atmosphere and harsh reality of the Spokane Indian Reservation.

This unnamed man stands on the street corners of the reservation continually prophesying the end of the world. He provides a constant background presence to the community's daily struggles.

Mr. Armstrong is the head of the record label in New York. He evaluates the band's musical potential during a high-stakes audition.

Son House is a legendary blues star from Robert Johnson's past. He gave a young Johnson the chance to play onstage but harshly criticized his early abilities.