At the same time I would not shut the door on midwives who came through nursing. We need to respect our diversity while honoring our profession. While I'm in accord with much of Diane's thoughtful essay, I do not see the CPM certification as being the unifying gesture. MANA is for ALL midwives. That is our touchstone for unity.
Certification is merely a tool.
A wonderful tool, one that will affirm the knowledge of the direct entry midwife, but it is not the heart and soul of midwifery. I think this is a battle we cannot win. We are the guardians of natural birth. Physicians peer review physicians, and the same respect should apply to midwives. In order for us to succeed freely out in the open, we need to be unified.