There There

Dene is a young documentary filmmaker who picks up a project from his uncle and applies for a grant to carry it out. Dene begins filming stories from Indigenous Americans in and around Oakland, including at the Big Oakland Powwow.

Now in her fifties, Opal works as a letter carrier for the US Postal Service and takes care of her sister’s three grandsons. She and her sister attended an Indigenous protest at Alcatraz in 1970. Opal went through several foster homes as a teenager.

Opal’s sister, Jacquie, has had a complicated life. Her first pregnancy was the result of a rape when she was at Alcatraz, and she gave the baby up for adoption as a teenager—the baby is later revealed to be Blue. She also had another daughter Jamie who died by suicide; her three grandsons live with Opal. Jacquie is recently sober and works as an addiction counselor.

Edwin lives with his mother, who is white, and tries to investigate the Cheyenne side of his heritage, which comes from a man who lives in Arizona. Edwin primarily stays inside using the Internet. After learning his father’s identity, Edwin becomes more motivated to leave the house and eventually meets his father, Harvey. Edwin also works part-time at the Indian Center and helps Blue plan the Big Oakland Powwow.

Bill is a custodian at the Oakland Coliseum and dates Edwin’s mother, Karen. Bill is a veteran of the Vietnam War and also served time in prison for murdering someone. Bill has trouble dealing with Edwin, whom he perceives as lazy and reflective of a younger generation he does not understand.

Calvin is a young Indigenous man living with his sister. He owes his brother Charles—and thereby Octavio—a significant amount of money related to drugs.

Orvil is one of Jacquie’s three grandsons, though he has been raised by her sister Opal. He is the older brother to Loother and Lony. For years, Orvil has been dreaming of powwow dancing; eventually, he takes regalia from Opal and goes to the Big Oakland Powwow to perform.

Octavio is a drug dealer whose grandmother, Josefina, taught him about traditional healing practices. It is Octavio’s idea to rob the Big Oakland Powwow.

Daniel is Octavio’s cousin and lives with his parents. He figures out how to 3D-print guns from the internet. Daniel also operates a drone by remote control.

The head of the powwow committee, Blue works at the Indian Center in Oakland. Although she was raised by a white adoptive family, throughout the narrative she makes some major discoveries about her Indigenous heritage.