Elissa Washuta

Elissa Washuta is the narrator of all of the essays and is the only point-of-view the reader is introduced to. This includes the one essay that is written in the second person, as it is implied that everything written is part of Washuta’s life. It is clear from the introduction that Washuta has suffered greatly over the years as she mentions frequent abuse and sexual assault at the hands of her various boyfriends. This uncertainty and pain she feels leads her to witchcraft as she believes magic will allow her to understand why things happen the way that they do. Furthermore, Washuta cares about her Native heritage as well as the stories of other tribes in America, especially those displaced by settlers. Washuta herself is part of the Cowlitz tribe, but frequently tells stories of the Duwamish Tribe that once lived in the Seattle area...