Quechua Indians from the rival clans Chayantacas and Laimes, protected by hardened leather helmets t..,...

Quechua Indians from the rival clans Chayantacas and Laimes, protected by hardened leather helmets that imitate those worn by the Spanish Conquistadors centuries ago, exchange blows in the fierce fighting ritual known as "Tinku," in the main plaza of this Bolivian highland village located 350 kilometers south of La Paz, May 3, 2001. The origin of the annual ritual, which coincides with the Catholic Festival of the Cross and from which deaths are not uncommon, is believed by some to be linked to ancient territorial disputes between clans, while others say it belies echos of colonial era exploitation, when peasants were forced to mine silver.