The Carson River watershed was a shared territory within these two tribes. The Northern Paiute of western Nevada was grouped up in to several bands relating to the area that they inhabited. The group that established itself along the Carson River were known in the Shoshone language as "Toituked". The Washoe peoples that had residence in the Carson Valley were also divided into a separate group and called "Pau wa lu". Ancient people and indigenous tribes used the Carson River as a resource for livelihood, depending on the river for fish, waterfowl, plant materials, and especially water in the aired Nevada desert climate. Displacement of these tribes and changes of lifestyle did not take place until the development of European settlements.