The initial segment, designed by Kristi Lucas, begins in 20,000 BC when the animals whose bones were found in the La Brea Tor Pits still wandered among the plants and trees native to the area. In their research, the Mural Makers discovered that many of the trees we think of as typical of California, like the Eucalyptus and Pepper, were brought by settlers. By 10,000 BC, as Indians migrated to the Americas, perhaps on a land bridge, the Chumash Indian peoples settled in this region. They had a special relationship to and respect for the animals, especially porpoises. These are shown both in their natural environment and at the center of the prayer wheel which forms the transition to the second segment. Designed by Christina Schlesinger, this section provides an overview of Chumash practical and spiritual life as it might have been in 1000 BC. A vision in which human and animal spirits mingle expressesthe Chumash religious sentiments. Much of this section was painted by an American Indian boy who shares this world view. The peaceful early history of the region ends with a White hand rising from the sea, symbol of the destruction of Native American life by White settlers.