'Addresses questions of ethics of researching another culture; analyses written attitudes to literacy; traces development of Kriol, attitudes to its use in bilingual education in Northern Territory and how Summer Institute of Linguistics linguists have viewed it; examines language attitudes and choices at Ngukurr, Barunga and Nauiyu Nambiyu (Daly River); compares Kriol, Daly creole and Ngangityemerri phonologies in relation to orthographies; shows how literacy is used in newly literate communities by examining representation of prosody and code-switching between English and Kriol in texts; through stories explores intuitions on Kriol and identity, variety of Kriol speakers and occasions Kriol is used; concludes that Kriol literature has a doubtful future. '