The Marake Coming of Age Ceremony

       The Marake Ceremony is a coming of age ritual usually only for young boys. When the parents of the child thinks that he/she is ready, typically when they are between the ages 5-8, they take them to the local shaman, who holds one of the highest positions in the Amazonian's eyes, to initiate the ceremony. The ceremony is seen by most as very brutal, although it is seen as normal by these Amazonian tribes. The ceremony is conducted by taking a kunana with live bullet ants, or wasp, stuck to it. Kunanas are intricately designed mats made out of woven bamboo (see picture No. 1). Usually they are shaped like animals (see picture No. 2). If the child succeeds in becoming a man they are allowed to keep the kunana that was used on them as a symbol of their accomplishment. The shaman repeatedly places the side of the kunana that has the bullet ants stingers protruding from it all over the child's body. This is a very painful process for the child. If the child reacts to the stings then he has failed and will have to wait another year to go through the ceremony again. Because of the large amount of toxins that are released into the body from the ant stings, children are typically left disabled anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of weeks. Because of this, dancing is done after the initiation to get the child's blood circulating so that the toxins leave the body faster.

(Picture No.1)

       From the onlookers perspective this is a very harsh and unpleasant experience, but for the young boys about to be initiated this is a very exciting event. In the eyes of the Amazons this is as normal and "cruel" as taking your child to the dentist or to get a shot. Although the process is painful the children look forward to the day when they finally become a man. To prepare the children for the ceremony, the parents sting the children with the ants to help their bodies get used to the stings and the toxins. The ceremony is a moment the children have been waiting for ever since they can remember. The reason for the ceremony is to prove if the boys can take the pain endured by the stings without complaint, they should be able to endure the things that they may confront later in life as men such as battles and injuries. The motivation overrides the fear of the child and he steps forward to become a man. In the end the pain and the toxins from the ant stings is but a small price to pay for the victory that is achieved .

(Picture No.2)

       Although the Marake Ceremony is under American standards as child abuse, because of the pain inflicted on the child, the Houston Museum of Natural History's "Out of The Amazon: Life on The River" exhibit presents the life of the Amazons in a non offensive and unbiased manner. This is good because until we have walked in another persons shoes we can not truly understand the behavior or traditions of the individual.