New York City might not be the first place you think of when you hear about a gathering of Native Americans. But the Thunderbirds’ 40th Annual Grand Mid-Summer Pow-Wow is NYC’s oldest and largest Native American celebration. Exchange visitors had a rare chance to step inside Native American dance, song, and culture on July 17 at the Queens County Farm. Pavendeep Kaur from The City University of Hong Kong led the activity, joined by The University of Hong Kong’s Catherine Chan, currently interning at engineering consulting firm and longtime CCIP (www.theccip.com) partner Yu & Associates.

The Pow-Wow gathered over different 40 Native American nations. Dressed in ornate costumes and body paint, the Native Americans drummed, chanted, and faced off in dance competitions. Exchange visitors got to try Native American food and check out craft exhibits, but it was really the dancing and singing that kept them mesmerized.

"This experience was so much more intense than what you see in movies or on TV,” said Macy Chan, who is studying at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. “I couldn’t take my eyes off the dancers as they circled to the chants -- I was pulled in."

Lily Chan of the City University of Hong Kong added, “This was a different and unexpected view of America. Exposure to stuff like this is really what makes CCIP so unique."