*Tony Loneman: First narrator in There There. Mother is in jail. Grandmother is Maxine and is his mother–like figure, whom he lives with. Karen is his counselor. He's 21 years old, of Cheyenne descent, and has fetal alcohol syndrome that he refers to as "The Drome." He deals drugs with Octavio.
*Edwin Black: The son of Harvey and Karen, a biracial young man who does not know his father (Harvey). He loves the internet, went to school for writing, and has an internship assisting with the powwow.
*Opal Victoria Viola Bear Shield: Had teddy bear named Two Shoes, aka "Teddy," when she was a kid. The guardian of Orvil, Lony, and Loother. Half–sister to Jacquie and daughter to the late Vicky. She's in her 50s for the present thread of the novel, but has chapters showing her childhood, too. She's of Cheyenne descent and works as a postal delivery person.
*Jacquie Red Feather: Has a daughter named Jamie who passed away. Grandmother to Orvil, Lony, and Loother Red Feather. Half–sister to Opal. Her mother was Vicky. She works as a substance abuse counselor but is herself newly sober and dealing with alcoholism. She gave a child (Blue) up for adoption in her youth.
*Orvil Red Feather: Lony and Loother's brother, Jamie's son, and Jacquie's grandson. He is 14 years old, Cheyenne, and deeply interested in his heritage. He dances at the powwow.
*Dene Oxedene: Son of Norma, Nephew of Lucas. He is a storyteller∕documentary filmmaker who wants to collect stories of Native Americans living in Oakland in order to continue what his Uncle Lucas started. He is enrolled in the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes.
*Octavio Gomez: Grandson of Fina (Josefina), cousin to Manny and Daniel. Drug dealer. He lost his father to a drive–by shooting, then his mother and brother to a car accident (driven by his Uncle Sixto).
*Calvin Johnson: Native young man, brother of Charles Johnson, staying with his sister Maggie and her daughter, Sonny. Owes drug money to Charles.
*Blue: Married to Paul, daughter of Harvey and Jacquie. Jacquie gave her up for adoption. She is head of the powwow committee at the Indian center.
Karen: The white mother of Edwin Black. She is dating Bill Davis.
*Harvey: Edwin's and Blue's father, Rocky's brother. Raped Jacquie while at Alcatraz. He believes in redemption and reconnection. He is the emcee of the powwow.
Jamie Red Feather: Mother of Orvil, Lony, and Loother Red Feather. Jacquie's second daughter. She died of a drug overdose.
*Lony Red Feather: Orvil and Loother's brother, Jamie's son, and Jacquie's grandson.
*Loother Red Feather: Orvil and Lony's brother, Jamie's son, and Jacquie's grandson. He listens to classical music.
*Bill Davis: Dating Karen and has a tense relationship with her son, Edwin. He is a Vietnam Veteran and spent time in prison for stabbing a man. He works at the baseball stadium as a janitor.
Daniel Gonzales: Manny's younger brother, Octavio's cousin, and Sylvia's son. He is a young tech and coding whiz and uses a 3D printer to make guns for Octavio.
*Manny Gonzales: Daniel's older brother, Octavio's cousin, and Sylvia's son. He is killed in retaliation for a fight at a party.
*Thomas Frank: Cheyenne. Is fired by Dr. James "Jim" Hampton from his job as janitor at the Indian Center in Oakland. He feels redeemed when he joins a drum circle performing at the powwow.
Sylvia Gonzales: Mother of Daniel and Manny Gonzales. Octavio's aunt and Fina's daughter.
Sixto: Fina's son, Octavio's uncle. Partly responsible for the deaths of Octavio's parents and brother.
Fina (Josefina): Sixto and Sylvia's mother. Octavio's grandmother. She is a kind and caring half–Native woman who believes in nontraditional medicine and ritual.
*Charles: Calvin's brother. He is a drug dealer who works with Octavio and needs to assist Octavio in coming up with a lot of money.
*Carlos: Friend and associate of Charles. The two of them are often referred to collectively as "Charlos" because they are always together.
Victoria: Jacquie and Opal's mother.
Rocky: Harvey's younger brother. Opal meets and befriends him when they are both kids living on Alcatraz.
Uncle Lucas: Dene's deceased uncle, Opal's long-lost boyfriend. He dreams of making movies and works as a boom mic operator in Los Angeles. He passes onto Dene the idea of collecting Native American stories.
*Bobby Big Medicine: The leader of a Native drumming group in Oakland. Befriends Thomas Frank.
Geraldine Brown: A friend of Blue's who lives in Oklahoma. She helps Blue get to the bus station in Oklahoma City when she is running away from Paul.
Sonny: Maggie's young daughter, Calvin's niece.
Maggie: Calvin's sister, Sonny's mother.
Maxine: Tony's grandmother and caretaker.
Hector: Geraldine's brother, Paul's friend.
Rob: A white hipster who competes against Dene for an arts grant.
Paul: Blue's estranged and abusive husband in Oklahoma.
*Attends the powwow