UNCP faculty featured in statewide historic sites video project
Two UNC Pembroke faculty will appear in new video materials produced for North Carolina State Historic Sites.
Nancy Strickland Chavis, director of the Museum of the Southeast American Indian and Dr. Jaime Martinez, chair of the Department of History, recorded interviews at the Rowland train depot for segments tied to the Fort Fisher State Historic Site.
The work is part of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources’ Priority Updates to State History (P.U.S.H) project, which adds fresh digital content across museums and parks. Sites are receiving orientation videos and interactive tools such as touchscreens, animated maps, sound installs and magic windows. Horizon Productions is filming scholars statewide to build short Historian on Demand vignettes and other teaching pieces.
“As public historians, we are deeply aware that our stewardship of the stories of this place requires not just care, but innovation. Through P.U.S.H., we are working toward sharing new research with our visitors, in an effort to spark curiosity and grow meaningful connections across generations,” said Michelle Lanier, director of North Carolina Historic Sites.
Dr. Martinez has collaborated with DNCR for years, including service on the state’s highway marker committee and speaking roles tied to Civil War memory. Her research on Confederate slave impressment includes Fort Fisher’s reliance on forced labor by African American and Native American people in southeastern North Carolina. “They’re casting a wide net for this project, which I appreciate,” she said. “Scholars from smaller institutions like UNCP have important stories to tell. Being part of the Fort Fisher pieces is a full-circle moment for me.”
Chavis brings expertise in Lumbee history and the Indigenous experience in the Southeast, adding a perspective that helps visitors connect local places with long living histories.
P.U.S.H sites include Aycock Birthplace, Bennett Place, Bentonville Battlefield, Fort Fisher, Historic Edenton, Historic Halifax, House in the Horseshoe, Town Creek Indian Mound and Vance Birthplace. The updated content will roll out on the State Historic Sites website.