Content Warning: This section addresses themes of racism, cultural erasure, and violence against Indigenous people.

Bull is the chief of the fictional Little Elk tribe and one of the central protagonists of the novel. He is described as a big man with a rough face, contrasting with his “lively, even lilting, voice” (2). Bull is devoted to protecting his people from the white settlers by keeping them isolated in the mountains. Unlike his brother, Henry Jim, he is steadfast in preserving their traditional values in the face of encroaching colonialism. Although he strives for peaceful coexistence with the settlers in the area, he refuses to conform to their ideas of life. He stands as a symbol of resistance against those who believe that Indigenous Americans should abandon their heritage and assimilate.

This attitude is what leads Doc Edwards to describe him as the “one Indian this country would like to put behind bars, guilty or not” (121). Although he tries to establish respectful relations with the dominant white culture, he refuses to compromise his heritage or assimilate, and his defiance makes him a threat to people—like the missionary Welles—who believe that Indigenous Americans need to abandon their traditions to survive.

However, Bull also has two contrasting flaws: a reluctance to act and explosive anger.