Star Stories, part 48: Feeding the Star People

zhaawano
Apr 16
4 min read

Updated: Apr 24

Iskikamizige-giizis (Boiling Sap Moon) / Namebin Giizis (Suckerfish Moon)—April 16, 2026

Anang Eshangejig (Star Feeders) painting by Zhaawano Giizhik

Aaniin indinawemaaganidog, gidanamikawininim weweni miinawaa: Hello relatives, I greet you again in a good way!

The artwork shown above is titled Anang Eshangejig, which translates to "Star Feeders" in Ojibwe. The painting illustrates a ritual where an enigaazid, assisted by two nenaandawi'iwejig, offers a miigis to anangowininiwag. This scene is inspired by an ancient healing ceremony that has gained renewed attention today.

enigaazid = a mourner [e-nih-GAH-zit]*
nenaandawi'iwejig = traditional healers [neh-NAWN-da-WIH-ih-WEH-jig]*
miigis = a sacred (Mide) seashell [mee-GIHSS]*
anangowininiwag = star people; ancestors [a-nang-o-wih-nih-nih-WUCK]*

This ancient ritual, which to my knowledge has never been a standard Ojibwe tradition, has been used in various forms globally by healers to help individuals cope with trauma, particularly for those who have lost loved ones or experienced violence.

The tradition involves collecting stones or other natural items that symbolize painful memories, vocalizing the grief to them, and then letting them go ("release them") into a river or the sky, recognizing that "the wound that's held grows; the wound that's released heals."

The Star Feeder doesn't discuss the trauma; they nurture it. Healers use this to help those who have lost loved ones or endured violence, offering a method to nurture and release grief instead of merely recounting the traumatic experience.

Anang Eshangejig (Star Feeders) - detail; painting by Zhaawano Giizhik

Participants gather objects, such as stones, sticks, and tree leaves that represent specific traumas. They articulate their pain while holding the item and then release it into water or air, effectively "offering" it to the ancestors or stars to carry it away. At the end of the ritual, a final stone (or another natural object) is retained, symbolizing that the pain has been recognized.

Although it likely was never an Ojibwe tradition, the ceremony, when performed correctly, can still hold significance today. It is particularly useful in addressing intergenerational trauma and widespread lateral violence in contemporary Turtle Island communities, as it aims not to eradicate pain but to offer a space for acknowledging and experiencing grief.

Some Western researchers and practitioners have explored the ritual as an effective somatic practice, suggesting that physically letting go of objects while expressing memories verbally engages both brain hemispheres, thereby speeding up trauma processing.

This ancient ritual, almost forgotten, has recently attracted renewed interest as a method for healing trauma.

Giiwenh. Thus goes the Teaching Story about the ancient healing ritual of Star Feeding.... Miigwech bezindamoyan noongom mii dash gidaadizookoon. Thank you for listening to my storytelling today. Giga-waabamin wayiiba, I hope to see you again soon...

*The Ojibwe words in the text are presented according to the Fiero Double Vowel System. The phonetic spelling enclosed in [square brackets] follows Phonetic Writing Chart #1. Refer to: Ojibwe Spelling & Phonology.