Indigenous Birth Conference Details
Overview
It is with great excitement we share our most current information for the upcoming Indigenous Birth Conference (IBC), 2023.
You will receive an invitation to join the “Whova application” via email soon. This will be our main platform for the conference where you will complete registration. If you do not get this link by March 7th, please let us know.
*If you are coming on scholarship for registration, please advise us by April 3rd if you will not be attending so that others may attend.
Conference Agenda
*Separate Registration Required in Whova
English/Spanish Translation available entirety of conference
- Thursday, May 4
- Friday, May 5
- Saturday, May 6
- Sunday, May 7
Pre-conference Session Title | Full or Half Day | Speaker |
NRP Certification Class | Full Day 9am-5pm | Olga Ryan, MS-NL, RN Julia Moon, CNM |
Spinning Babies* Museum Hall | Full Day 9am-5pm | Tema Mercado, CPM |
Trans Family Building Space | Full Day 9am-5pm | Facilitators and Co-Creators: Jessica F. Gutfreund, LM
(other facilitators TBA) |
Birth Centers and Beloved Economy | Half Day 1pm-5pm | Leseliey Welch, MBA, MPH
Tenesha Dunan, MBA, MA |
Special Gathering | Time | Facilitator |
Dinner and circle for students | 6:30pm-8pm | Miriam Torres, CBE/SM |
Time | Description | Speaker |
7am to 9am | Registration and Continental Breakfast | |
9am to 9:45am | Opening Circle Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives
Opening Song | Valaura Imus-Nahsonhoya, MS (Hopi) Radmilla Cody (Dine’,Naahilii) |
9:45am to 10am | Breathe and Move Transition to Seating | Move to Museum Hall |
10am to 11am | General Session A: Catching the Light | Patrisia Gonzales, PhD Traditional Midwife Partera (Kickapoo, Comanche and Macehual) |
11am to 12:30pm | General Session B: Breakouts | |
Arizona Missing & Murdered Indigenous People | Valaura Imus-Nahsonhoya, MS (Hopi) | |
Shake Off Shame After A Cesarean | Daniela Montoya-Barthelemy, MPH SEP (Xicana) | |
Postpartum Kitchen Healing | Felicia Ruiz (Tewa/Xicana) | |
12:30pm to 2pm | Lunch | |
2pm to 3:30pm | General Session B: Midwifery Education for Indigenous Midwives and Students | Panel members: Rhonda Grantham (Cowlitz) Brittany Simplicio-Romero, CNM MSN (Dine and Zuni Pueblo) Felina Ortiz, DNP, RN, CNM, FACNM Erin McMahon, EdD, CNM, FACNM Tema Mercado, CPM (Xicana) |
3:30pm to 4:30pm | General Session C: Wisdom of our Elders | Panel Members: Ursula Knoki-Wilson (Dine') Patrisia Gonzales (Kickapoo, Comanche and Macehual) Millicent Simenson, RN (Mandan Hidatsa Arikara) Panchita Hurtado, Traditional Midwife (Yoeme/Yaqui) |
4:30pm to 6pm | General Session C: Breakouts | (hydration/snacks) |
Breastfeeding & Birth Sovereignty | Maymangwa Flying Earth, Esq. (Hunkpapa Lakota/White Earth Ojibwe/Akimel O'odham) | |
“Moving Past the Numbers: Envisioning what Diabetes Care in Pregnancy should Look Like in our Communities” | Brittany Simplicio-Romero, CNM MSN (Dine and Zuni Pueblo) | |
The fertility midwifery model for queer families | Andrea Ruiz (Tewa/Xicana) | |
6pm to 6:15pm | Announcements and Close | Conference Staff |
6:15pm to 6:30pm | Mingle and Disperse | |
6:30pm | Dinner on your own | Roosevelt Row and Downtown |
Time | Description | Speaker |
7am to 9am | Registration and Continental Breakfast | |
9am to 9:15am | Welcome and Announcements | Conf. Staff |
9:15am to 9:30am | Opening Welcome | TBA |
9:30am to 10:30am | General Session A: Ruptures, Sovereignty, and Managing the Dial: Practices for Birth Justice | Panel Members: Indra Lusero, Esq. (Genízaro) Maymingwa Flying Earth, Esq. (Hunkpapa Lakota/White Earth Ojibwe/Akimel O'odham) (other panel members TBA) |
10:30am to 10:45am | Breathe and Move Bio-break | |
10:45am to 12:15pm | Session A Breakouts: | |
Dialing in on your Birth Justice Policy Issue | Indra Lusero, Esq. (Genízaro) Maymangwa Flying Earth, Esq. (Hunkpapa Lakota/White Earth Ojibwe/Akimel O'odham) (other facilitators TBA) | |
Neonatal Resuscitation Skills: Focusing on Ventilation and Use of the T-Piece | Olga Ryan, MS-NL, RN | |
Policy, Birth Work, and Reproductive Justice in AZ: The Intersection of Abortion & Birth Justice | Michelle Ivette Ponce (Boricua, Yoruba) | |
12:15-2:00 pm | Lunch | Tributes and Book Signings Patrisia Gonzales Felicia Ruiz |
2pm to 3pm | General Session B: BIPOC Community Birth Centers Panel | Panel Members: Panel Members: Leseliey Welch, MBA, MPH Glenna Belin Marcus, LM (Pueblo, Ohkay Owingeh) Beata Tsosie-Peña (Tewa) Terri Chi-Lee, CPM LM (Chinese/Cambodian) Stephanie Murillo, CPM (Xicana) |
3pm to 4pm | General Session C: Birth in our communities | Margaret David, CNM (Koyukon Athabaskan) Maria Ramos Bracamontes, CNM (Mexican Indigenous) Glenna Belin Marcus, LM (Pueblo, Ohkay Owingeh) In Virtual Attendance: Centro MAM Vanessa Calderi, CPM EMT CMT (Boricua)
Paloma Del Mar Hernández Quiñones, Student Midwife (Boricua)
|
4pm to 4:30pm | Breathe and Move Bio-break | |
4:30pm to 6:00pm | Session C & D Breakouts: | |
Bringing Birth Back to Tribal Nations | Talking Circle Facilitators: Beata Tsosie-Peña (Tewa) Rhonda Grantham, CPM (Cowlitz) | |
No Borders for Midwives | Talking Circle Facilitators: Maria Bracamontes, CNM (Mexican Indigenous) Marinah Valenzuela Farrell, CPM (Chicana) | |
6:00-6:15pm | Announcements and Close | Conference Staff |
6:15–630pm | Mingle and Disperse | |
630pm | Dinner on your own | Roosevelt Row and Downtown |
Time | Description | Speaker |
7am to 9:00am | Registration and Continental Breakfast | |
9 am to 9:15am | Welcome and Announcements | Conf. Staff |
9:15am to10:45am | Session A Breakouts: | |
The Interconnectedness of the Pelvic Floor and body | Traci Faith Guw Thonalig Hughes Hamilton, LMT (Mississippi Choctaw, Mexica, Hiaki, and adopted Tohono O'odham) | |
Sex in Postpartum | Daniela Montoya-Barthelemy, MPH SEP (Xicana) | |
Multidisciplinary Approach to Tongue Ties: Assessment, Treatment, and Aftercare | Cara Reik, DNP, RN, FNP-BC, IBCLC, DABLS | |
10:45am to 11:45am | General Session B: Zaagiidiwin: Caring for our Relatives | Melissa Brown, RM B.MW, ILC (Anishinaabe-Dine’) Candace Neumann, BSW (Metis) |
11:45am to 12:00pm | Breathe and Move Transition to Outside Circle | |
12pm to 12:30pm | Closing Circle | |
12:30pm | Mingles/Vendors/disperse | |
Conference Locations
We feel it is important to share this information regarding the conference locations in the event it changes your desire to attend the conference. Because our funding did not cover many things, including the cost of renting our locations and food, we are working with community based organizations who are being incredibly supportive of our many requests. These two organizations are social justice organizations, Venue 122 and the First Church UC of Phoenix. These two sites are close to one another and each offers space for our gathering.
Venue 122, which house the Jewish Heritage Center, primarily holds wedding and events and is in a very old building in downtown Phoenix. They do have a museum room which DOES display Jewish history, including images of the Holocaust, to showcase and lift the resilience of the people. The area of the center that houses these images and artifacts is NOT an area that anyone will need to enter unless there is a desire to explore their offerings. They consider themselves nondenominational and welcoming of any beliefs.
The First Church UCC Phoenix is based in a 1917 building around the corner from Venue 122. They do have religious services in their sanctuary, and it very much looks like a conservative church from the outside. However, this location primarily houses refugees, works with the International Rescue Committee to provide support to individuals that need every form of assistance, and is also open to groups that provide support to the community from having a “closet” run by a Transgender support group, to offering addiction services, work opportunities and so much more. There will be NO conference offerings in the Sanctuary, but there are some religious iconographies throughout the building.
Hotel Information
Downtown
222 East Portland St.
Phoenix, AZ 85004
Phoenix, AZ 85004 Our main hotel is walking distance to the
conference, across from a park and located near
many restaurants, shops and downtown events,
including First Fridays, which will happen the first
night of our conference – it is similar to an art walk with all the stores open. We have a block of rooms available until they sell out. Please make your reservations soon!
Note on hotel policies, including refunds: we can’t do anything about hotel policies including refunds. Please read carefully before you book. Thank you!
Things to Consider
Sky Harbor International
This is our closest airport to the venue – about 15 minutes or so. (Mesa Airport is 1hr away)
Climate
Be prepared for hot days! Phoenix tends to be hot already 80-90F.
COVID
We will ask that for the conference you test each morning before coming to the event, and do not come with any signs of illness.
CEUs
Speakers, please use this link to apply for CEUs for your facilitated session (we are happy to help you with this)
Students
Please plan on joining us for a student dinner, Thursday, May 4th at 6:30pm.
Refunds
Registration refunds will only be partial because we will need to pay for food in advance. Lodging and travel refunds are difficult – please check the policies.
Food Will Be Available During The Conference
Preconference May 4th, 2023
There will only be beverages and light snack available during the workshops – no main meals
May 5th and May 6th, 2023
There will be full breakfast and lunch
May 7th, 2023
There will be full breakfast
Childcare
• Childcare is available for the conference and preconference day.
• You must request childcare by Friday, March 17th, 2023. If you have not yet
requested childcare, please email us to request.
• Childcare is only for children 2-10yrs old. Children younger or older are welcome to
stay with you during the conference (there is an additional cost for older children)
• Childcare is being provided by volunteers – NOT professional childcare attendants.
These are parents that have little ones and are well known to our planning committee.
We know you will consider what is best for you and your family <3
• Childcare registration has a limit, so it is possible we may not be able to enroll your
child.
• Your childcare “slot” is NOT confirmed until you have fully registered for the
conference with payment on Whova.