Bruchko: The Astonishing True Story of a 19-Year-Old American, His Capture by the Motilone Indians and His Adventures in Christianizing the Stone Age Tribe

Bobarishora, nicknamed Bobby, is a Barí tribesman who plays a central role in the narrative. Initially introduced as a young boy named Cobaydra, he later adopts the name Bobarishora after a ceremonial rite signifying his coming of age. Depicted as a loyal friend and companion to Olson throughout the book, their friendship is solidified through a ritual bond of brotherhood. Bobby accompanies Olson on most of his endeavors and missions, acting as a window into Barí society and teaching Olson much about their language and customs. It is through his friendship with Bobby that most of Olson’s work with the Barí succeeds: A conversation with Bobby helps Olson decipher the Barí language; Bobby takes part in disseminating medicine to communal homes; Bobby is the first Barí that Olson manages to convert; and Bobby’s singing causes the “miracle” at the Festival of Arrows. In several ways, Bobby is the driving force behind the “Motilone Miracle” Olson celebrates.

Bobby undergoes significant character growth throughout the book. He transforms from a prideful youth into a kind man, eventually deciding to adopt the troublemaker Odo and setting him on the right path. Additionally, he develops as a leader, becoming a tribal chief and supporting the Barí by investing in agriculture. His murder at the end of the book is compared to the crucifixion of Jesus as a sacrifice from someone whose life bettered those around him. Olson presents Bobby’s growth as exemplary of the positive impact of Christianity; his faith leads to personal and moral improvements. Bobby’s journey reflects the themes of The Transformative Power of Personal Connections and The Importance of Living in Accordance with Faith.

The Barí, or Motilone, serve as the primary focus of Olson’s missionary efforts. While they refer to themselves as the Barí, Spanish settlers in South America dubbed them the Motilone, meaning "shaved heads," a name Olson adopts for them. They are an Indigenous tribe residing in the territory between northeastern Colombia and western Venezuela. The Barí first encountered Western powers in the 16th century when Spanish colonial forces tried to invade their territory for gold. In the 20th century, the discovery of oil in Barí land led to further encroachment attempts by oil companies, resulting in the Barí now having just 7% of the territory they originally possessed. In Bruchko, Olson immerses himself in the Barí community with the aim of introducing medicine, agricultural sciences, and Christianity, ultimately succeeding in his mission.

The Barí hold a critical role in Bruchko, portrayed as the quintessential “other” in the narrative, a violent and isolated group whose cultural values and practices starkly contrast with Olson's own. Olson highlights their general reluctance to display negative emotions or empathy as notable examples of this cultural divide. By emphasizing the cultural disparities between Western societies and the Barí, Olson underscores the significance of his successes within this seemingly “alien” society. While Olson learns to appreciate Barí culture, his descriptions of them are undeniably influenced by colonialism and evangelism. He assumes that they require Christianity to attain happiness, describing them as having had a "great sense of lostness" (139) before his arrival and portraying them as fundamentally "uncivilized Indians." (109) His successes are framed as “civilizing” the group through Christianity without destabilizing their society.

Gloria, Bruce Olson’s fiancée, plays a minor but important role in Bruchko. She is depicted as a benevolent figure, focused on helping the Barí. Following a somewhat contentious meeting with Olson, she stays with the Barí for a week, during which time she becomes attached to them. Acting on advice Olson gave offhandedly, she goes to medical school so that she may aid the Barí in the way they need best. She and Olson strike up a romantic relationship that turns into an engagement when she moves to Tibú so she can administer medical aid to the Barí. Soon after this, she dies in a tragic car crash, causing Olson to foolhardily try boating down the river during a storm.

Though she is only active in the narrative for a short time, Gloria’s death is an important component in the theme of The Importance of Living in Accordance with Faith. When Olson struggles with her and Bobby’s deaths coming in short succession, he realizes that persisting through suffering is essential for Christianity. Therefore, while not a major character in her own right, she plays an important role in Olson’s arc.

Bruce Olson’s unnamed father is not physically present for most of the narrative but is essential in shaping Olson’s character. Olson’s father is a devout member of the Lutheran Church, depicted by Olson as entirely committed to maintaining the appearance of a perfect family and unwilling to question church doctrines. He is shown to be cruel and dismissive when Olson begins attending an interdenominational church; he mocks the practices that make Olson feel welcome and refuses to allow him inside the house once Olson returns from service. The strain in their relationship continues as Olson begins to attend university and when Olson leaves for missionary work, as Olson’s father maintains a racially charged worldview of North America and Europe being the only safe areas. Following Olson leaving South America, his father does not appear in the narrative again.

Olson’s father represents a type of worldview that Olson wants to criticize in the narrative. Olson’s father is committed more to his church than he is to his personal relationship with God, as exemplified by his dismissal of Olson’s attempts to understand the Bible. His belief that the text is opaque and therefore cannot be understood is directly at odds with Olson’s later focus on altering biblical parables so they can be comprehended. Olson’s father is depicted similarly to Pastor Peterson, as both represent elements of the established churches that Olson criticizes. Moreover, Olson’s father has a reductive view of other cultures, one that Olson criticizes by finding the validity of non-Western cultures (though Olson’s own view that Christianity is required for leading a fulfilling life may be seen as reductive in itself).