Penile subincision was traditionally performed on the island for those wanting to learn a complex ceremonial language called Damin.
This type of modification of the penis was also traditionally performed by the Lardil people of Mornington Island, Queensland.
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According to Ken Hale, who studied Damin, no ritual initiations have been carried out in the Gulf of Carpentaria for half a century, and hence the language has also died out.