Two years ago, I sat at the edge of the powwow dance circle in Conne River, Newfoundland with a couple hundred other people — some Indigenous and some not — listening and watching.
There was a time when Indigenous ceremonies, dancing and the wearing of traditional regalia was illegal in Canada. During that dark time, some First Nations groups continued to hold powwows and other spiritual ceremonies in secret, while others abandoned the practice and lost the traditions. That is part of the reason that before 1995, there were no powwows in Newfoundland.  
Re-establishing the powwow was the beginning of a cultural revival for the Miawpukek Nation and today they celebrate their powwow and their culture with all who wish to participate.