Nativity Seen | Jared Wheatley of the Indigenous Walls Project

The Overlook with Matt Peiken

Jared Wheatley will tell anyone who asks, he is Cherokee. But it took him decades to begin the deep exploration of what it means to be Cherokee—the history of his people, his family, and how to live his layered lineage and heritage in the world today.

Wheatley’s quest led him to create the Indigenous Walls Project. He and other Native artists he has invited have painted more than 15,000 square feet of outdoor walls in Asheville with Native syllabary and other cultural symbols and imagery.
In this episode, we’ll take a journey through Wheatley’s complicated family history and walk along his path to the Indigenous Walls Project. We’ll also dissect the racism and criticism he says he regularly experiences, even from other Native people.

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