The Mawé, also known as the Sateré or Sateré-Mawé, are an indigenous people of Brazil living in the state of Amazonas.

[2] The Sateré-Mawé people intentionally use bullet ant stings as part of their initiation rites to become a warrior.

[4] The ants are first rendered unconscious by submerging them in a natural sedative and then hundreds of them are woven into a glove made out of leaves (which resembles a large oven mitt), stinger facing inward.

When finished, the boy's hand and part of his arm are temporarily paralyzed due to the ant venom.

The only "protection" provided is a coating of charcoal on the hands, supposedly to confuse the ants and inhibit their stinging.