Folk Midwifery™: Private Membership Training Pathway

What is Folk Midwifery™

Rooted in the Folk Midwifery Certification Pathway™: A Three-Level Framework for Preserving and Advancing Folk Midwifery™ Practices

Folk Midwifery™ is a patent-pending, legally protected ancestral system of midwifery and maternity care, invented by Priestess & Folk Midwife™ Okunsola M. Amadou—rooted in the traditions, spiritual practices, and cultural wisdom of ancient cultural midwifery lineages. It is a sacred, autonomous, holistic, and community-based approach to pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care, preserved through ritual, ceremony, herbal knowledge, and ancestral rites of passage.

The Folk Midwifery Certification Pathway™ provided by the Global Folk Midwife Alliance™ is a structured, three-tiered process designed to train, certify, and empower folk midwives by combining ancestral wisdom, cultural practices, and modern advocacy. This pathway addresses the systemic erasure and marginalization of traditional midwifery, creating a framework to ensure its preservation, global acknowledgment, and integration into maternal health systems.

Through its distinct three levels, the pathway equips midwives with the knowledge and skills needed to deliver holistic care, honor Indigenous traditions, and advocate for policy change.

Unlike state-regulated maternity care models, the Folk Midwifery™ cultural and spirtual system exists outside of government licensing structures and honors the autonomy of birthing individuals, families, and communities. It centers physiological cultural birthwork, intergenerational wisdom, and the spiritual sanctity of childbirth, ensuring that midwifery remains a protected tradition, free from medicalized control.

The Folk Midwife™ designation is provided to members of the the Global Folk Midwife Foundation™-a Private Membership Organization, while training, education and mentorship is provided by the Global Folk Midwife Alliance™ (PMO).

Training & Recognition of Folk Midwives™

The training, education, and recognition of Folk Midwives™ are exclusively provided through a Private Membership Organization (PMO).

✔ All teachings are rooted in ancestral wisdom, spiritual birthwork, and community-led midwifery traditions.

✔ Folk Midwifery™ is NOT a medical or state-licensed certification; it is a private, protected, autonomous recognition process.

✔ Only PMO members who meet the requirements of mentorship, study, and ceremonial passage may carry the title "Folk Midwife™".

Folk Midwife™ is a legally protected title and may only be used by individuals who have completed the official training, mentorship, and recognition pathway provided by the Global Folk Midwife Foundation (GFMF) and the Global Folk Midwife Alliance (GFMA), operating as a Private Membership Association (PMO).

To learn more or to apply for membership in GFMF, click here or sign-up below.

Legal Protection & Autonomy for the Folk Midwife™ Pathway

The Global Folk Midwife Foundation™ and Global Folk Midwife Alliance™ are Private Membership Organizations (PMO), not public institutions.

— To access this pathway, you must first be accepted as a member to the org by applying and completing the process

The Folk Midwife™ title is a protected spiritual designation, not a medical license or certification.

—The Folk Midwife™ title is strictly reserved for and can legally only be used by members of the GFMF and GFMA who have completed the education and training process

All teachings, apprenticeships, and educational components are private and restricted to members of the GFMF and GFMA (PMO).

— Folk Midwife™ teachings, apprenticeships and educational components, are a part of protected, sacred, spiritual lineage based practices not offered to the public

  • Folk Midwifery™ is a patent-pending, legally protected ancestral birthwork system that honors the traditional, spiritual, and community-based practices of midwifery. It is rooted in indigenous, cultural, and ceremonial knowledge passed down through generations. Unlike state-regulated midwifery models, Folk Midwifery™ exists outside of government licensing structures, ensuring birth autonomy, protection and ancestral practice preservation.

  • • Folk Midwifery™ is a sacred, protected system, not a licensed medical profession.

    • Traditional Midwives & Indigenous Midwives are broad terms that encompass various cultural birth practices, and oftentimes overlap indigenous with western-modern midwifery practices due to systemic erasure of cultural birth practices and forced compliance.

    • Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs), Certified Midwives (CMs), Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs), and Licensed Midwives (LMs) practice under state and medical regulations. Certified Community Midwives (CCMs) receive a credential once they’ve satisfied the requirements of becoming one of the above credentialed Midwives, or by providing a documented history as a Traditonal Midwife in alignment with the CCM requirements.

    • Folk Midwives™ are not trained and credentialed through public, westernized, medical and intervention based midwifery models of education and care. Folk Midwives™ are exclusively trained through the patent-pending “Folk Midwifery Certification Pathway: A Three-Level Framework for Preserving and Advancing Cultural Midwifery Practices”—through a sacred, spiriutal, cultural and protected lineage of Folk Midwives™.

    Folk Midwives™ are trained through the Global Folk Midwife Alliance™ and recognized with the formal title and designation of Folk Midwife™ upon completion of skill through the Global Folk Midwife Foundation™ (GFMF)-a Private Membership Organization (PMO).

  • Traditional Midwife is a broad term that refers to unlicensed, community-trained midwives who may or may not practice based on cultural and ancestral knowledge. Folk Midwife™ is a legally protected title and system that can ONLY be accessed and used by those who become a member and complete training through GFMA and receive the designation through GFMF.

  • No. Folk Midwifery™ is a private, sacred, spiritual, culturally protected and autonomous birthwork system that is NOT regulated by government agencies.

    Folk Midwives™ practice under the protection of a Private Membership Organization (PMO), ensuring full autonomy and freedom from state governance.

  • To become a recognized Folk Midwife™, you must:

    • Apply for membership in the Global Folk Midwife Alliance (GFMA). Membership opens March 14, 2025.

    • Complete the Folk Midwifery™ training pathway, including coursework, mentorship, and ceremonial passage.

    • Be formally recognized as a Folk Midwife™ through the GFMF (PMO).

  • • Folk Midwife™ (FM) → Entry-level designation for newly trained folk midwives.
    • Advanced Folk Midwife™ (AFM) → Midwives with deeper mentorship, advanced training, and community leadership.
    • Elder Folk Midwife™ (EFM) → Recognition of midwives with 20+ years of experience, Folk Midwife™ trained cultural preservationist and honored as wisdom keepers and community elders.

  • A Private Membership Organization (PMO) ensures that Folk Midwifery™-a practice that is considered intangible cultural heritage based on UNESCO—remains sacred, protected, preserved, private, autonomous, and free from government and state control and regulation.

    PMO membership is required to legally participate in Folk Midwifery™ education and practice.

  • No. The term 'Folk Midwife™' is legally protected and may only be used by designated individuals. Unauthorized use outside of the GFMF PMO is subject to trademark enforcement and legal action.

  • No. Since GFMF & GFMA operate as a Private Membership Organization (PMO), membership fees are private contributions and are not tax-deductible.

  • The Birth Priestess™ is a sacred title reserved exclusively for those who complete the intensive spiritual and ceremonial training within Ile Asé Omi Orun™—a sacred birth worker temple through the Yourba Balewa lineage— and a cultural and spiritual PMO. This training is focused on the metaphysical, ritualistic, and ancestral aspects of birthwork. The title 'Birth Priestess™' is legally protected and may only be used by those trained within the Ile Asé Omi Orun™.

  • Public Offerings (The Midwifery Folklorist™ LLC – Available to Everyone):
    • Books, Research & Publications
    • Public Speaking & Keynotes
    • Consulting & Birthwork Research •Museum Exhibit Curation & Archival Work

    Private Offerings (PMO – Members Only):
    • Folk Midwife™ Training & Designation
    • Birth Priestess™ Training & Initiation
    • Legal Advocacy & Autonomous Cultural Midwifery

  • Yes! Public education, books, and speaking engagements are available through The Midwifery Folklorist™ LLC. Only Folk Midwife™ & Birth Priestess™ training, designation, and advocacy require PMO membership.

Folk Midwife™ FAQ’s

Full Moon Folk Midwife™ Private Membership Launch

On March 14, 2025—Black Midwife Day and the Full Moon—The Midwifery Folklorist™ invites you to an extraordinary night of ancestral remembrance, storytelling, and global movement-building. This event marks the official launch of The Midwifery Folklorist™ Oral Archive & Lunar Gathering Space Live Recording, the pre-sale of The Black Midwife Oracle™ book and oracle deck, and exclusive access to private membership registrations for those committed to honoring, preserving, and protecting the legacy of Folk Midwifery™. Reserve your spot!

Global Folk Midwife™ Alliance Membership & Folk Midwife™ Designation Application

Global Folk Midwife Alliance™ Private Membership Overview & Agreement Application for the Autumn 2025 Cohort

Overview of the Folk Midwife™ Pathway

The Folk Midwife™ Pathway is a global cultural and spiritual midwifery training dedicated to restoring Indigenous, traditional, and regionally specific birthkeeping practices. This designation honors the community-based, cultural midwifery traditions that existed before the medical-industrial complex took control of birth.

This pathway offers a comprehensive learning experience for those who want to train as Folk Midwives™ through cultural immersion, apprenticeship, field research, and hands-on training within their respective communities.

Who Is This Pathway For?

This is a private membership-based spiritual, cultural, and educational training for:

  • Individuals who wish to practice as Folk Midwives™ and specialize in physiologic birth, cultural midwifery, and holistic perinatal care.

  • Birthworkers who want to restore, document, and protect ancestral birthkeeping practices in their own region.

  • Those seeking an alternative to state-licensed or medicalized midwifery models that exclude cultural and spiritual traditions.

  • Midwives who are already clinically trained but wish to incorporate spiritual, traditional, and folk midwifery practices into their care.

Membership & Application Process

  • The Global Folk Midwife Alliance™ is a Private Membership Organization (PMO). By applying, you acknowledge that this is a protected educational pathway outside of state licensure and regulation.

  • Applicants who require clinical training will be placed in a 1-2 year apprenticeship model within their regional cultural midwifery system to learn directly from lineage-based teachers, healers, and midwives.

  • Applicants who are already clinically trained (such as midwives or birthworkers) will bypass clinical education and instead receive cultural, spiritual, and historical training to restore traditional folk midwifery within their work.

Once accepted, you will receive an official membership invitation within 60 days outlining:

  • Membership agreement & legal protections

  • Program costs & payment structure

  • Timeline & expectations for the Autumn 2025 Cohort

This is a commitment to the revival of Folk Midwifery™ worldwide. By applying, you agree to be part of a movement that is actively restoring the cultural autonomy of birthwork.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: May 31, 2025
Cohort Begins: September 2025

Apply below if you're called to this pathway.