[4] The laying of the Queensland Cape York telegraph line ran through the hunting grounds of both the Kaantju and Kokiala tribes, and had a large impact on their survival.
While the Kokiala died off, the Kaantju set up camps along the line, near cattle stations, or retreated to those parts of the range where one could hunt or fish in peace.
The mainland systems were based on ceremonies for the ritual incentivation of increase, that is, to ensure nature would renew its nourishing sources, something that, on the Torres Strait, had been weakened by the spread of native gardens and fishing.
The at Emily Creek ritual centre was based on the red kangaroo totem, and consisted on a long parade of upright stones varying from a few centimetres to some as high as 2 to 3 feet.
The order appear, to McConnel, to parallel that of the ant-beds at the bream and cuscus auwa of the Wik-Mungkan, the difference being explained as due to the lack of suitable stone-ware in the territory of the latter.