Fresno Flats Historic Village & Park photo via Facebook

The California Natural Resources Agency announced its support for various museum projects backed by more than $19.7 million awarded by the California Cultural and Historical Endowment.

Funding aims to support small capital projects and programs in museums that have been adversely affected by the pandemic and that serve underserved communities.

“California’s museums teach us about our state’s dynamic, diverse history and culture,” said California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot. “This funding will support projects across the state that lift up history and culture that has been underrepresented in the past and enable more people to learn these remarkable stories.”

Two locations in Madera County were selected to receive funding.

San Joaquin Valley Paleontology Foundation will receive $75,000 to support a California Native American Exhibit. The foundation operates the Fossil Discovery Center in Chowchilla.

Sierra Historic Sites Association in Oakhurst will receive $174,500 to incorporate history and contribution of local indigenous and ethnic communities. The association operates the Fresno Flats Historic Village and Park.

“The Sierra Historic Sites Association in Madera County will receive $174,500 to develop new exhibits, create accessible videos, refurbish and restore parts of the Nathan Sweet Museum and provide updates to the website to make existing digital collections more accessible. The new exhibits will focus on presenting local indigenous communities’ history and culture in their own words, the contributions of early Chinese immigrants in California, and the history of forest management, particularly fire ecology and indigenous cultural burning,” according to a news release.

In all, 63 museum projects throughout the state were selected to receive funding from the grant.