The tradition of the current Aztec conchero dancers seen in Mexico and more recently in the U.S. originated shortly after the Spanish invaded Mexico in 1521. As a form of accommodation, the Native Americans that survived the invasion of the Spanish were allowed, under Spanish eccesiastical supervision, to conduct their dances in the courtyards of churches in honor of saints or virgins represented there. The dance troupes imitated a military type of hierarchy, the head being the captain (capitan), two women captains who tend the altar and who supervise other women, two sergeants (sargentos) who tend the altar and supervise trips (marchas), and two standard bearers (alfareces). The men are referred to as warriors, the women as malinches. Malinche here refers not to the concept of traitor, originating from the lover and interpreter of Cortes, but rather a positive image of the historic Malintzil, a person that assists the soldiers. These Aztec dancers use a plumed headdress, a cape, and a stringed instrument made with the armor of an armadillo; moreover, rattles from shell-like seeds known as chalchahuites or ayayotes provide a pre-Columbian native quality of sound that accompanies the intricate steps of the dancer. Also accompanying the dance is the rhythm of a tall wooden drum known as the huehuetl (from Aztec Nahuatl wewetl). It is estimated that there may be as many as 50,000 conchero Aztec dancers in Mexico; in the United States, there are conchero dance groups represented in every state where there is a sizeable population of Mestizos, i.e., those that are part Native American and Spanish. Most recently, the performance based troupes (as opposed to traditional, sacred and ritualistic) have been seen participating in North-American Native pow-wows. The origin of the conchero tradition as it is known today is the result of an accommodation between Spanish/Christian authorities and Native Americans of Mexico circa 1537.1 There are two schools of thought regarding the authenticity of the conchero tradition: (1) Those who see it