Sound of Running Feet is a bold fourteen-year-old Nez Perce girl and the daughter of Chief Joseph. Unlike many other girls in her village, she frequently speaks her mind and desires to fight alongside the men to protect her ancestral homeland of Wallowa. She struggles to balance her fierce independence and warrior spirit with her tribe's strict expectations for women during a time of immense cultural upheaval.

Chief Joseph is the thoughtful and nonviolent leader of the Nez Perce people. Known also as Thunder Rolling in the Mountains, he feels deeply connected to his ancestral land of Wallowa but prioritizes the physical survival of his people above territorial control. He is a practical leader who strives to find a peaceful resolution with the encroaching white soldiers, even when his own people demand war.

Swan Necklace is a gentle young Nez Perce man and a skilled painter. Although he initially prefers creating art to engaging in violence, the escalating conflict with white settlers and intense pressure from his father push him into the role of a warrior. His transformation reflects the consuming nature of the war that surrounds his people as they flee their homes.

General Howard is the one-armed leader of the white soldiers tasked with displacing the Nez Perce. He serves as a strict and unyielding military authority who completely dismisses Chief Joseph's spiritual connection to the land. Driven by his orders and the interests of white settlers, he shows no regard for Indigenous cultures or religious beliefs.

Springtime is the pregnant wife of Chief Joseph and the mother of Sound of Running Feet. She possesses a profound connection to her homeland, demonstrating strong principles when she insists on giving birth to her new baby in Wallowa rather than on the journey to the reservation. She provides a quiet but unyielding strength to her family during their darkest hours.

Too-hul-hul-sote is a priest of the Dreamers and the chief of the Roamers, a smaller traveling band of Nez Perce. He views the earth as his mother and vehemently opposes the idea of farming or relocating to a reservation. He advocates for war over surrender, serving as a fierce and vocal warrior who refuses to bow to white authority.

Ollokot is Chief Joseph's brother and is renowned as the greatest warrior within the Nez Perce tribe. Despite his formidable combat skills, he shares his brother's practical mindset and desires to protect their people as safely as possible during the chaos of the encroaching soldiers. He balances raw military strength with a need for survival.

Old Joseph is the former chief of the Nez Perce who has passed away before the events of the novel begin. His legacy continues to influence the tribe, particularly through his son Chief Joseph and his granddaughter Sound of Running Feet. His physical presence remains in the form of his old rifle, which his granddaughter carries as a symbol of protection.

White Feather is a young Nez Perce woman and a close friend to Sound of Running Feet. She experiences the brutal realities of the conflict firsthand when she crosses paths with the invading white soldiers, highlighting the severe vulnerability of the tribe's unarmed civilians during the forced relocation.

Jason Upright is an invasive white settler who builds a cabin and pans for gold on the tribe's ancestral land. He embodies the colonizing mindset of his era, viewing the Nez Perce as greedy for trying to maintain their vast natural territories while he claims the land's resources for himself.

Red Moccasin Tops is a fierce and impetuous member of the Red Coats, a gang of young warriors seeking revenge for their murdered fathers. He acts impulsively without considering the broader consequences for the tribe, escalating the conflict between the Nez Perce and the white soldiers to a point of no return.

Wah-lit-its is a young, aggressive warrior and one of the core members of the Red Coats. Driven by a consuming need to avenge past wrongs committed against his people, his spontaneous actions help ignite the open warfare that prevents the Nez Perce from peacefully relocating to the Lapwai reservation.

Captain Jerome is a white soldier captured by the Nez Perce in retaliation for the army's unfair treatment of Chief Joseph. During his captivity, he experiences the tribe's honorable conduct firsthand, receiving food, warmth, and respect that stands in stark contrast to his own army's deceitful tactics.

Red Elk is the leader of an Assiniboin camp who offers temporary shelter to the fleeing Nez Perce youths. Although he refers to them as brothers and provides them with food, he harbors ulterior motives, constantly eyeing their valuable stolen rifles and looking for ways to benefit from their vulnerability.

Charging Hawk is Red Elk's son and a ferocious Assiniboin warrior. Having lost his first wife years prior, he becomes deeply infatuated with Sound of Running Feet and views her as a potential replacement. He is ruthless and devoid of the honorable customs typical of hosts, willing to use force to acquire what he desires.

Alighting Dove is the wife of Red Elk and the mother of Charging Hawk. In contrast to her calculating husband and son, she shows genuine kindness to Sound of Running Feet. She quietly teaches the young woman Assiniboin customs and displays deep empathy for the immense grief her guest carries.

Looking Glass is a respected war chief of the Nez Perce who possesses premonitory abilities. He wears a small mirror around his neck to connect with his visions. Although he temporarily steps down from leadership, he remains a vital voice, continually advocating for a slower, more sustainable pace to protect the weary members of the tribe.

Lean Elk is a young, driven warrior who temporarily takes over leadership from Looking Glass. He pushes the tribe at an exhausting pace, initiating long rides from dawn until noon to outrun the soldiers. His strict adherence to traditional gender roles puts him at odds with the fiercely independent women of the tribe.

Bending Willow is the infant daughter of Chief Joseph and Springtime. Born during the chaotic final hours in the tribe's ancestral homeland, her survival on the grueling journey depends entirely on the care of her older sister and the communal support of the tribe's women.