Dancers wearing masks participate in the "Tastoanes," an indigenous pre-Columbian word for "leaders," a Catholic celebration in veneration of Santo Santiago, in Tonala, Mexico, on July 25, 2019. /VCG Photo

The Dance of the Tastoanes embodies more than three centuries of tradition in the villages of western Mexico. It commemorates an indigenous battle against the Spanish during the Spanish invasion of the area. /VCG Photo

Bizarre masks are a primary element in this annual festival. /VCG Photo

The masks depict human faces deformed by smallpox and sores or animal of the region where the battle between the Spanish and indigenous people took place. /VCG Photo