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TIFF Review: Turtle Island Rap (Alexandra Lazarowich, 2026)

Posted on
15 Sep 2026
by
Paul

“I wanna be in the game, man. I wanna make something people know, even if for a month.”

Those words, courtesy of Navajo rapper Travis Thompson, are the first we hear in Turtle Island Rap, Alexandra Lazarowich’s compelling portrait of three up-and-coming Indigenous rappers, and they help set the tone right off the bat. Also featured are Toronto-based Anishnabek rapper Wiidaaseh and Arizona’s A$h Da Hunter, who make similar statements, with A$h saying she can’t see herself doing anything other than music with her life. At its core, this is a film about people following their dreams because they feel compelled to do so. They’re all in the rap game for the love of the music.

While A$h Da Hunter notes at one point that she doesn’t want to be known simply as “a Native rapper,” it’s undeniable that the community, culture and heritage of each artist factors into their work somehow. Thompson makes that clear in one scene where he tells the crowd at one of his shows, “This shit was not made for us, but we gonna take up space.” Ultimately, Turtle Island Rap is a celebration of Indigenous artists working to carve out space for themselves while staying true to the music they love.

PrevPreviousConcert Review: The Callous Daoboys, September 13, East End United

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