Victor Joseph

The main protagonist in the collection. He appears in many of the stories and grows from an innocent child to a disillusioned young adult. He endures poverty and racism as a child, and makes a difficult transition when he attends high school off the reservation. As an adult, he has several unhealthy relationships with white women and struggles with alcoholism, but with great effort he eventually stops drinking.

Adolph

One of Victor's uncles. He brawls with his brother Arnold in "Every Little Hurricane".

Arnold ("Every Little Hurricane")

One of Victor's uncles. He brawls with his brother Adolph in the collection's first story, "Every Little Hurricane."

Thomas Builds-the-Fire

Another one of the collection's central characters, Thomas is the same age as Victor. He is very eccentric – he frequently tells stories about Native American history, and believes he can fly and have prophetic visions. Victor rejects him when they are young because of his strange behavior, but they reconcile after taking a trip together in "This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona."

Junior Polatkin

One of Victor's friends. Junior is one of only a few Indians on the reservation to attend college, and because of this, he has a tense relationship with his peers. He attends Gonzaga University and fathers a son named Sean with a woman he meets there, although they break up shortly after his birth. Junior drops out of college and returns to the reservation, where he faces alcoholism and poverty.

Victor's father

Victor's alcoholic father had a good relationship with his son when he was young. However, he disappears from his son's life after divorcing Victor's mother. He moves to Phoenix, Arizona, and Victor does not hear from him again until he must recover his ashes in "This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona."

The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven Character List

Victor Joseph

The main protagonist in the collection. He appears in many of the stories and grows from an innocent child to a disillusioned young adult. He endures poverty and racism as a child, and makes a difficult transition when he attends high school off the reservation. As an adult, he has several unhealthy relationships with white women and struggles with alcoholism, but with great effort he eventually stops drinking.

Thomas Builds-the-Fire

Another one of the collection's central characters, Thomas is the same age as Victor. He is very eccentric – he frequently tells stories about Native American history, and believes he can fly and have prophetic visions. Victor rejects him when they are young because of his strange behavior, but they reconcile after taking a trip together in "This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona."

Junior Polatkin

One of Victor's friends. Junior is one of only a few Indians on the reservation to attend college, and because of this, he has a tense relationship with his peers. He attends Gonzaga University and fathers a son named Sean with a woman he meets there, although they break up shortly after his birth. Junior drops out of college and returns to the reservation, where he faces alcoholism and poverty.

Adolph

One of Victor's uncles. He brawls with his brother Arnold in "Every Little Hurricane".

Arnold ("Every Little Hurricane")

One of Victor's uncles. He brawls with his brother Adolph in the collection's first story, "Every Little Hurricane."

Big Mom

The spiritual leader of the Spokane tribe. She appears in "A Drug Called Tradition".

Victor's father

Victor's alcoholic father had a good relationship with his son when he was young. However, he disappears from his son's life after divorcing Victor's mother. He moves to Phoenix, Arizona, and Victor does not hear from him again until he must recover his ashes in "This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona."

One-Braid

A woman Victor has a casual sexual encounter with in "Crazy Horse Dreams".

Adrian

One of Victor's friends. He appears in "The Only Traffic Signal on the Reservation Doesn't Flash Red Anymore" and "Imagining the Reservation."

Julius Windmaker

A high-school basketball prodigy whose drinking disrupts his sports career.

Sadie

A friend of Victor's who attends a carnival with him in "Amusements".

Dirty Joe

An alcoholic Indian who is the victim of Victor and Sadie's cruel prank in "Amusements".