The Tongva/Gabrielino lived for thousands of years in the area now covered by Los Angeles County and parts of Orange County. They began each day with a prayer to bring out the sun and bathed in the river. Food was abundant, and men chanted while fishing and hunting, women sang while gathering plants, seeds, and shell fish, and children played in the river. Shamans chanted in their sacred house. Tongva/Gabrielino hunted and fished the sea in great red wood and pine plank canoes called Te-ott and fished along the shore using large tule canoes. They also crossed to the island areas to trade with fellow Tongva who lived there. From spring to fall, they gathered food and prepared it for the rest of the year. They also gathered reeds and grass to make the items needed for daily life. Their dome-shaped houses were made by bending and tying willow branches into shape and attaching river reeds and grasses as thatching. The domes had one entrance and a smoke hole in the ceiling for the smoke from a small fire used for light and warmth. Plants and animals could not be gathered or hunted unless prayers were made to ask permission of the plant and animal people. Songs and melodies helped ensure the goodness of the food and maintain balance and connection in nature. Through their culture and rituals, Tongva/Gabrielino marked an important era in the history of this area, and their significance remains present.