The Totonac are an indigenous people of Mexico from the states of Hidalgo, Veracruz, and Puebla. They built the pre-Columbian city of El Tajin and the city of Teotihuacan, and, until the mid-19th century, they were the world's main producers of vanilla. During the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, the Totonac ruler Tlacochcalcatl welcomed Hernan Cortes and promised 50,000 warriors to help defeat the Aztec Empire and conquer Tenochtitlan. Today, 411,266 Totonac live in Veracruz, and most of them practice Catholicism, although they often practice a mixture of Catholic and traditional beliefs.
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Totonac warriors in battle, early 16th century