In many countries around the world, young adults encounter adulthood with some sort of celebration. For instance, in the U.S. a sweet sixteen is very popular tradition. However, not all adolescents, especially males, face a friendly celebration into adulthood. Before entering adulthood, boys have to go through greater extents to prove they are ready. For example, many indigenous tribes that survive in the wilderness have extreme rituals males must complete in order to be considered a man within the society.
The tribe Sateré-Mawé, is located in the Amazon, with an estimate of 10,800 members. Their main languages are Portuguese and their native Sateré-Mawé tongue. This tribe has one of the most painful rituals boys must overcome in order to be seen as a man. The ritual is known as the Bullet Ant Gloves.…show more content… The sting that one ant can cause is claimed to be 30 times more painful than a bee sting. Imagine the pain thousands of bullet ants create and placing your hands inside. This is basically what the young boys in the Sateré-Mawé tribe have to endure for 10 minutes, 20 times.
This is the case for Mawé, a male member of the Sateré-Mawé tribe. He, along with other boys, had a couple of days before the Bullet Ant Gloves ritual. Mawé was not as enthusiastic as the other members, he did not view the ritual the same way the rest of his tribe did. The chief of the tribe and everyone else believed a man that lives his life without knowing the meaning of becoming a man without suffering or making an effort is not a worthy man. However, Mawé believed there were other methods to prove a man worthiness. So he decided to brainstorm of ways to convince the tribe he was ready to be a worthy man without having to endure the Bullet Ant Gloves ceremony. Mawé brainstormed for days and the day of the celebration got closer and closer. He finally came up with the idea of serving his tribe the few days that remained until the day of the ritual. Mawé acted on his plan by assisting
