An American “culture hero” famous for planting apple trees throughout the American west and living peacefully with Native Americans. In the novel, John Chapman is friends with Whiskey Jack and also describes his grief after the loss of his Shoshone wife, offering a comparison as Shadow sorts through his own feelings after Laura’s death. While not a god, John has the status of a god because of the way his story is remembered in the American public, showing the difference between gods brought to America and gods conceived on American soil.