My name is Kathryn Stevens. I am a summer photo intern for the Casper Star-Tribune. Reporter Jenni Dillon and I spent the summer getting to know people and life on the Wind River Indian Reservation. We didn't spend as much time as we would have liked, but in the two months we did spend, we attempted to delve into the culture and the topic as much as possible.

When I first heard about the proposal to do a photo-story about grandmothers, and especially American Indian grandmothers on the Wind River Reservation, I was intrigued for three reasons.

One, I have always been interested, as a journalist, in populations that are under-represented in the media, or are only covered when something negative happens in that community. When an opportunity arises to highlight something positive and, more than that, something that actually represents the true nature of that population, I jump at that chance.

Second, grandmothers, in any culture, are sacred to us all. They are nurturing, wise and will always lend an ear - not to mention give you an earful. In addition to this esteemed role in society, grandmothers in Native cultures have an even more special role, or so I assumed before we even began this project.

You see, before Jenni and I began this project, before I moved to Wyoming, I lived in Montana, and through the University of Montana, I was able to cover the issue of racism on the Flathead Reservation. This is the third reason for my interest in this story. I felt I had some knowledge of life on a reservation. Of course, the Wind River reservation is completely unique, but many Native communities share commonalities, such as loss of language and social structure. When I finished my project in Montana, I had hoped I would have the chance to visit other Native American communities - and lo and behold, here was my chance.

Jenni and I arrived, together, on the Wind River reservation in mid-July, wondering where this general topic would lead us. We quickly learned the importance of elders on the reservation, as well as the roles, both traditional and nontraditional, that grandmothers have in the community. We also learned that family plays a huge role on the reservation, and so our story began to take shape.

We learned a lot - to say the least. But, by far the most important thing I learned personally, was that my family is so similar to the families we met. Jenni and I sat in the dining room table of Billy and Darrell Hanway one afternoon while Billy recounted the trials of her children. I thought back to some of the choices I and my family members have made, and the stories weren't all that different. It was at this moment that I knew readers in Wyoming would be able to identify with the families we followed. Everyone has a similar story, no matter what our background.

This is why I am a journalist, to allow readers to learn about their neighbors - whether they live next door, or the next town over. I sincerely hope the readers of the Star-Tribune will read about their neighbors and get to know them in a real way.