Nemonte is a young Waorani girl living in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Caught between the traditions of her ancestors and the encroaching influence of Christian missionaries, she exhibits a deep curiosity about the outside world. She struggles to reconcile her desire for Western goods, like a sky-blue dress, with her family's ancestral connection to the forest.

Mitch is an American writer and activist from California. Recognizing that his own culture consumes the oil that destroys the Amazon, he dedicates his time to building clean water systems for Indigenous communities. He approaches Waorani culture with respect, actively participating in their daily routines rather than trying to change their traditions.

Rachel is an American evangelical missionary operating in the Amazon. Following the death of her brother, she works to convert the Waorani people to Christianity, discouraging their traditional practices and dress. She functions as a gatekeeper to the outside world, controlling access to Western medicine, sugar, and clothing while brokering agreements with oil companies.

Tiri is Nemonte's father and a respected Waorani hunter. Born before missionaries or oil companies arrived in the forest, he carries a strong connection to ancestral traditions. He previously worked near Texaco oil operations, an experience that left him deeply distrustful of extractive industries and highly protective of uncontacted Waorani clans.

Manuela is Nemonte's mother, a medicine woman of biracial Kichwa-Záparo heritage. She holds a complex position within the community, utilizing her knowledge of traditional healing while also expressing a pragmatic desire for the financial security offered by outsiders. She acts strictly to prevent her children from adopting Western habits, occasionally using harsh punishments out of fear for their spiritual safety.

Alfredo is a missionary who co-runs the settlement in Damointaro. While outwardly presenting himself as a pious Christian caregiver, he exploits his position of absolute authority over the Indigenous children in his care. He uses isolation and fear to prey upon young girls who leave their home villages for education.

Opi is Nemonte's older brother. He represents the young Waorani men who leave the forest for Western education but find themselves disconnected from their traditional roles. He struggles with alcohol addiction in the city but eventually finds purpose by working alongside American researchers and activists to document his people's history and defend their legal rights.

Victor is Nemonte's younger brother. After observing a fervent prayer service held by the missionaries, he begins suffering from severe, inexplicable seizures. Western medicine fails to cure his condition, leading the family to seek help from a jaguar shaman who grants Victor the protective name Mengatowe.

Ana is Nemonte's baby sister. Shortly after her birth, her parents attempt to give her to the American missionaries for adoption, believing it will provide her with a better life, but the government denies the request.

Nënëcawa is Nemonte's uncle and the village's daytime storyteller. He uses a wheelchair due to paralysis caused by a polio epidemic that struck his clan shortly after their first contact with missionaries. Confined to his home, he preserves the community's memory by recounting Waorani history to the younger generation.

Donasco is Nemonte's grandfather, a Záparo shaman of Kichwa descent. He maintains a deep connection to the spiritual practices of the forest. He strongly warns Nemonte against the allure of the white world, comparing its mesmerizing influence to a boa's tongue that traps Indigenous people.

Steve is Rachel Saint's nephew, an American who arrives to establish a new village downriver from Toñampare. He attempts to integrate more gently than his aunt, learning Waorani customs and providing tools, but he accelerates cultural assimilation by bringing in Christian tourists and modern technology like generators and televisions.

Stephanie is the daughter of Steve and Ginny Saint. She represents the ideal of Western beauty and lifestyle to a young Nemonte. She forms a friendship with Nemonte, making pancakes on Sunday mornings and promising to eventually take her to the United States.

Rosalina is a missionary who manages the education and correspondence of the Indigenous children at Damointaro. She instructs Nemonte in Spanish and Western etiquette. Beneath her seemingly helpful exterior, she actively suppresses the truth about her husband's behavior and falsifies the children's letters to American sponsors to maintain the mission's funding.

Barbara is an American woman who serves as the head missionary at an educational facility for Indigenous children in Quito. She enforces strict discipline through physical punishment, utilizing a wooden paddle and monitoring the private devotional journals of the students to ensure total compliance.

Connie is an American linguist working in Ecuador to preserve Waorani language and history. She actively opposes the government's oil auctions and hires Waorani youth to transcribe the recorded stories of their elders for a dictionary project, providing them with both employment and a connection to their heritage.

Dayuma is a Waorani woman who works directly as an assistant to Rachel Saint. She acts as a liaison between the missionary and the village, delivering news, enforcing rules, and distributing Western goods like lipstick to those who align with the mission's goals.

Mincaye is a Waorani pastor and former warrior. He famously killed several Christian missionaries upon their arrival before being converted by Rachel Saint. The missionaries often parade his story of conversion as a testament to their civilizing influence and the power of Christian forgiveness.

Mengatowe is a revered jaguar shaman. He maintains the traditional spiritual practices of the Waorani, diagnosing illnesses as manifestations of sorcery or envy rather than mere physical ailments. He utilizes his own spiritual authority to shield vulnerable members of the community.

Amo is a young Waorani man who strongly opposes the intrusion of the Maxus oil company. Labeled a communist by the missionaries for his resistance, he fears that the extractive industries will contaminate the rivers and destroy the Waorani way of life.

Babë is a Waorani man who works directly for the oil company and lives in a cement house on the oil road. He embraces the cash economy and openly scoffs at traditional Waorani beliefs, boasting that the corporation can provide more tangible benefits than any spiritual entity.

Aunt Nantoke is Tiri's sister. She lives near the heavy machinery of the oil companies but maintains her traditional lifestyle. She remains highly attuned to the anger of the uncontacted Waorani clans in the forest and observes how money corrupts the members of her community.

Boya is a Waorani man employed as a community relations officer for the Repsol oil company. He actively works to align his people with corporate interests, mocking those who resist and dismissing accusations of environmental contamination as delusional.

Emergildo is a leader among the Kofan people. He lives with the devastating daily realities of oil pollution, receiving meager groceries from the corporation as compensation for the destruction of their natural resources.

Delfín is an elder and shaman of the Siekopai people. He guides younger generations and visitors through traditional ceremonies using sacred plants to clarify the mind and connect with the spiritual realm of the forest.

Mendoza is an anthropologist working on the payroll of the oil company. He utilizes his academic credentials to minimize the damage caused by the industry, deliberately spreading falsehoods to obscure the company's role in fomenting violence between Indigenous clans.