Good question!

Matachines is a tradition established by the Spanish but that merged with our traditional dances that the Spanish tried to erase; For multiple reasons, the Opatas were unable to celebrate and exercise many traditions in different periods of the region’s history, especially around the Mexican government’s persecution of any religious person, native-language speaker, or anyone celebrating any tradition between “after of the Mexican Revolution “and 1930 if I’m not mistaken.

And years after that some Opatas and non-Opatas did attempt to bring back or rescue some of them, like the matachines.

Best!