Conference Footprints: Sharing Yolŋu wisdom on the National ACM stage
- Dr Sarah Ireland
- Sep 23
- 2 min read
Larrakia Country, Northern Territory, 24 September 2025.
After data analysis workshops, our attention turned to the Australian College of Midwives (ACM) National Conference in Darwin. For our team, this was not just another conference. Midwifery is at the heart of our shared vision to return Birth to Country in Galiwin’ku, and so it was essential that our voices — Yolŋu and non-Yolŋu — were present and strong in this national forum.
Photo credit: Sarah Ireland; Larrakia Country, sunset.
Our Presence at ACM
Our team featured across the program, with four presentations that brought Yolŋu knowledges and experiences into the spotlight of midwifery discourse.
Highlights included:
Plenary Presentation — From the Fluorescent Glare to Ancestral Light: Reasserting Yolŋu Ways of Healing -Theresa Clasquin & Rachel Dikul Baker.
What's this Word ‘Risk’ Mean? We all have different- different thinking — Exploring different cultural understandings of risk in maternity care.
Walking Side-by-Side — Djȧkamirr (First Nations doulas) experiences supporting Yolŋu women during pregnancy.
Sharing the Number Dhawu (Story) — Presenting quantitative data that foregrounds First Nations leadership in Birthing on Country.
Photo credit: Sarah Ireland. L-R Professor Elaine Ḻäwurrpa Maypilama discussing midwifery matters with Associate Professor Zoe Bradfield- ACM president; conference stage; and Helen White ACM CEO talking with Professor Maypilama.
Why It Matters
Attending ACM allowed us to share our research widely, build networks of solidarity, and influence professional midwifery practice.
Just as importantly, it gave Yolŋu researchers a national platform to assert authority over their own knowledge and aspirations.
Photo credit:Sarah Ireland. team highlights from the conference.
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