The protagonist of the novel is Stacey, a First Nations girl in her late teens who is attending a high school for non-native residents.
[2][3] Some other important characters include Stacey's sister Celia and brother Young Jim; Rena a "two-spirit" (lesbian) and her partner German Judy; and Madeline, a Saulteaux woman from Manitoba.
The Raven is a crucial element in this novel; she represents a traditional Native Canadian trickster, inflicting sickness upon the people.
[2] Due to their sexual orientation, the two lesbian characters, German Judy and Rena, are being ostracized (Eigenbrod 2005: 93) by the Native community.
[5] His role is to bring both communities, the Native Canadian villagers and the inhabitants of Maillardville, together, and encourage a deeper mutual understanding between them.
[5] The trickster figure of the Raven impacts not only the whole groups but also the lives of individuals which is something the young members of the tribe must themselves discover.