Ms. Yves Hemana BrownMember, ICTSG Women’s Empowerment CommitteeCountry: Aotearoa New Zealand 🇳🇿 Ms. Yves (Yvey) Hemana Brown is a leading young cultural advocate and facilitator of Traditional Māori Games (TMG), embodying the spirit of youth leadership, indigenous empowerment, and cultural preservation. As one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s emerging voices in traditional sports and intergenerational knowledge sharing, Yvey’s work bridges education, health, and indigenous identity through traditional play. A gifted communicator, performer, and educator, she represents a new generation of women leaders who carry forward ancestral wisdom with dignity and pride. Through her dynamic leadership in local and international forums, she champions the revitalization of indigenous games as a tool for wellbeing, peacebuilding, and sustainable development—core values upheld by the ICTSG. Co-Author of two foundational books on Traditional Māori Games: Te Mara Hupara: 30 Ancient Artefacts for Play, Learning & Exercise (2017) Ngā Aro-Tākaro: 100 Māori Games Artefacts (2019) Achieved academic excellence in secondary education (NCEA Level 3) and university entrance in 2019 Recognized nationally for leadership in the KaiMatariki Youth Leadership Group, a platform dedicated to TMG outreach and international cultural exchange Guest Facilitator invited by the Greenland Government (2019) to lead a youth-centered health intervention through traditional games in Nuuk, sharing TMG practices and empowering Inuit youth to reclaim their own indigenous sports Delivered cultural performances and traditional blessings at international events in Greenland and Denmark, including a televised appearance at the Greenland Sports Awards Participated in the World Indigenous Games in Brazil (2015), the Festival of Traditional Games in France (2016), and Italy (2017), showcasing the unifying power of traditional games for intercultural understanding National award nominee for her excellence in TMG facilitation, umpiring, and cultural education Finalist in the Matariki Awards (2019)—a prestigious recognition of Māori leadership and innovation in sport and culture Dedicated to teaching tamariki (children) and rangatahi (youth) about the values of whakapapa (lineage), kaitiakitanga (guardianship), and mana wahine (women’s strength) through play As a vibrant member of the ICTSG Women’s Empowerment Committee as well as Member of the research and publication commission, Yvey Brown brings the voice of indigenous youth to the global platform. Her journey exemplifies the role traditional sports and games play in cultural resilience, gender equity, and peacebuilding. She is a living expression of the whakataukī: Nga Taonga Tākaro, ina te ora o te tangata – "Through traditional games is the health of our people and our environment sustained." Her presence in the ICTSG reaffirms the Council’s mission to inspire new generations to safeguard our shared intangible heritage while building inclusive futures. Social Media: FACEBOOK