Birthing on Country: Honouring Culture, Sovereignty, and Sacred Birth

As a woman living and working on Bundjalung Country, I respectfully acknowledge the Widjabul Wia-bal People—the Traditional Custodians of this land. I am deeply committed to offering support that strengthens and honours Birthing on Country in ways that are culturally safe, respectful, and community-driven.

For over 60,000 years, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have brought new life into the world on their ancestral lands—supported by kin, guided by tradition, and held by Country. Birthing on Country is not a new concept; it is an ancient and sovereign right. It represents not only physical birth but also spiritual and cultural continuity, grounded in connection to land, lore, and lineage.

Today, Birthing on Country is recognized globally as a movement for social justice and cultural reclamation. Its central aim is to return childbirth services to the hands and governance of First Nations communities, restoring autonomy and offering babies the strongest possible start in life—connected to their culture, Country, and community.

A Call for Systemic Change

The Birthing on Country vision aligns with broader efforts to 'close the gap' in health outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. It calls for transformational, system-wide reform, not simply policy statements, but real, on-the-ground services that are designed with—and led by—First Nations people.

This vision took a significant step forward in 2012, when the Australian Maternity Services Inter-jurisdictional Committee, in partnership with the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress, convened the first national Birthing on Country workshop. Attended by community leaders, midwives, health workers, and advocates from across the continent—many of them Indigenous—this gathering laid the foundation for meaningful action.

One of the key outcomes was a commitment to move beyond aspiration to implementation—recommending that exemplar sites be created across urban, rural, and remote regions, backed by appropriate funding, sustainability, and Indigenous leadership.

Grandmother's Law: Birth as Ceremony and Continuity

In many First Nations communities, Birthing on Country is inseparable from the concept of Grandmother’s Law—the deep cultural knowledge and authority passed down through matrilineal lines. Birth is not a medical event, but a sacred ceremony. It’s about bringing life into the world in the presence of ancestors, stories, and songs, with the land bearing witness.

Birthing on Country acknowledges that all births in this nation occur on unceded Aboriginal land. Recognizing this sovereignty is essential—not just symbolically, but through tangible support for community-led birth services.

What Does a Birthing on Country Model Look Like?

National policy describes Birthing on Country services as those that are:

• Community-based and governed

• Centred on traditional knowledge and cultural practice

• Deeply connected to Country and land-based identity

• Guided by a holistic understanding of health

• Inclusive of both Indigenous and Western knowledge systems

• Culturally safe, competent, and designed in partnership with Indigenous people

These services support not only the birthing woman but also extended families and communities—uplifting culture, sovereignty, and well-being across generations.

The Role of Private Midwifery in Supporting Birthing on Country

Private midwifery care has a unique and essential role to play in supporting First Nations women who wish to birth on Country—particularly in settings where mainstream services may be inaccessible, unsafe, or culturally inappropriate.

When provided through a trauma-informed, culturally responsive lens, private midwifery care can:

• Support autonomy and choice in birth setting, provider, and care style

• Offer continuity of care—a known midwife from pregnancy through postpartum

• Advocate for homebirth or community birth options close to or on traditional lands

• Work in respectful collaboration with Elders, cultural guides, and family structures

• Facilitate cultural safety and reconnection to Country in birth preparation and ceremony

Midwives practicing on Country can act as allies and advocates, not to lead, but to walk alongside—supporting Indigenous families in reclaiming birth as a cultural and sovereign act.

Toward Birth Justice and Healing

True birth justice in Australia requires more than improved services—it requires decolonization of maternity care, the centring of Indigenous voices, and the return of power to the communities who have birthed here since time immemorial.

Birthing on Country is not just a model of care—it is a movement of healing. A movement that holds birth as sacred, land as teacher, and women as sovereign.