Donna Starr- 10:36am February 2, 2002.   Last week I drafted a resolution for the Muckleshoot Tribal Council  extending an invitation to the Ashaninka people for a six week cultural exchange visit to the Mucklshoot Indian Rservation.  I presented the resolution to the Muckleshoot Tribal Council at their Friday meeting and it was passed unanimously.  Therefore there is formal invitation for the Ashaninka people to visit our Reservation. Five of the Muckleshoot Students who travelled to the Ashaninka Village last year will host the visitors when they arrive at the Muckleshoot Indian Reservation.  The Ashaninka visitors will live with a Muckleshoot family during their entire visit.  Muckleshoot will plan several events for the visitors, making sure that they experience as much of our culture as can be done in this short period of time.
 

Preparing for International travel includes many tasks. A passport to leave the country is a necessary document. First get a passport picture taken of yourself. Some travel agencies do this or Fred Meyers. The cost is usually $10.00. You will also need a certified birth certificate, a copy is not acceptable. With your picture and certified birth certificate in hand, go to a local court precinct, they usually have the appliction forms. Fill out the form completely, turn it in to the clerk there and she will mail it to the Immigration Agency. They will return your birth certicate when they send your passport in the mail. Being 60 years old and being born on an Indian Reservation with no doctor present, etc I had a delayed certificate of birth and that was not acceptable by the Immigration Agency, so I had to make and appointment to go in to the office with at least three older documents, such as baptismal records, school records, or a notarized document by an older sibling, all documenting my birth date, place of birth and parents names. My experience at the Immigration Agency was short and "not" sweet, but you may have a better experience than I. However, I did get my passport.
Immunizations for travel to another country is also required. This can get costly but if you check around to University Clinics or County Clinics it will be less expernsive. Begin to do this first! Because some of the immunizations require a series of shots, there could be a waiting time of two or three weeks in between shots. So start this as soon as possible. For Peru you should have your DT shot current Hepatitus A and B current. You will also need Malaria tablets to take in series. You will begin those seven days prior to leaving and every seven days after that until they are gone. It is strongly suggested that you get a Typhoid Fever shot and a Yellow Fever shot. You will need a prescription for Traveler's Diarrhea. If you travel to Cusco you will need a prescrition for High Altitude Sickness because that could be serious if you start getting the symptoms and don't take care of it. There are some preventive measures you can take to avoid this problem and that is to give your body time to adjust to the high altitude, by lying down and taking it easy for the first 24 hours that you are there. Drinking the cocoa tea is also a good idea.
Other things needed for your trip is, "Deet Mosquito Spray Repellent" to spray on all of your clothing, tents, mosquito netting. Once your gear is sprayed it lasts for two weeks, so if you spray it a day or so before you leave it should be good for your two weeks visit. Also, get the "Deet Mosquito Repellent Lotion to apply to your body every day, maybe a couple times a day while you're there. Bring a first aid kit, if you don't use it you can leave it for the people. Bring plenty of toilet paper! Also, bring a container of disposable wipes, you'll need those if you visit the villages. TO BE CONTINUED...