Tongva

Tongva. Life Along the River. , The Tongva/Gabrielino lived, for thousands of years, in the area that is now covered by Los Angeles County and parts of Orange County. They started each day with a prayer to bring out the sun and bathed in the waters of the river. Food was abundant and men chanted while fishing and hunting, women sang while they gathered plants, seeds, and shell fish, and children laughed while playing in the river. The sound of Shamans chanting in their sacred house was ever present. If you listen closely, you can still hear the Shamans' chants in the wind and their whispers in the water. , , Tongva/Gabrielino hunted and fished the sea in great red wood and pine blank canoes called Te-ott and fished along the shore using large tule canoes. They also crossed to the island areas to trade with their fellow Tongva who chose to inhabit the island areas. , , They spent the months from spring to fall gathering food and preparing it for the rest of the year. They also gathered reeds and grass to make the different items they needed for daily life. Their houses were dome shaped, and were made by bending and tying willow branches into the shape needed and river reeds and grasses were then attached as thatching. The domes had one entrance and a "smoke hole" in the ceiling to let out the smoke from the the small fire that was used for light and for keeping warm. , , Plants and animals could not be collected or hunted unless prayers were made to ask the permission of the plant and animal people. Songs were sung and melodies were hummed to ensure the goodness of the food and to maintain the all important balance and connection in nature. , , Tongva/Gabrielino, through their culture and rituals, have marked an important era in the history of this area and their significance will forever be present.