Objective

Native Forward Scholars Fund is the largest direct scholarship provider to Native students. We fund the future of Native leadership through higher education and seek to elevate awareness and impact by working with partners who align with our values and commitment to Native communities.

Our goal was to increase awareness of Native Forward’s scholarship opportunities and culturally congruent support services, while reinforcing our mission to create opportunities, empower, and support every Native student wanting to pursue higher education.

To realize this vision, Native Forward partnered with Supaman (Christian Takes Gun Parrish), a member of the Apsáalooke Nation and an internationally recognized hip-hop artist, dancer, and cultural ambassador. His commitment to Native communities and lived experience made him an ideal partner to share this message.

Native students often face systemic barriers to higher education, including underrepresentation and lack of access to resources. Native Forward doesn’t just give out scholarships—we break down those barriers.

This partnership’s objective was to elevate awareness of Native Forward’s scholarship opportunities and culturally grounded student support services.

Our work will not be complete until we are able to create opportunities, empower, and provide support to every Native student wanting to pursue higher education.

Strategy

Since its inception in 1969, Native Forward has awarded scholarships and provided culturally congruent support to over 22,000 Native students from all 50 states and more than 500 Tribes.

This campaign was designed to further that mission through an authentic partnership with Supaman, Christian Takes Gun Parrish, (Apsáalooke Nation), who aligned with Native Forward’s values and commitment to Native communities.

Supaman was not just a featured artist - he was a creative partner. The project centered around a cinematic video message calling on Native students to recognize their power, potential, and right to higher education. His voice and vision embodied the themes Native Forward stands behind: self-determination, culture as strength, and the power of education to uplift entire communities.

To ensure every component honored that vision:

• The creative concept and production team were Native-led from start to finish.
• The script was informed by Native Forward’s mission and the lived experience of Native students.
• The visual storytelling was crafted to reflect both cultural continuity and academic ambition—celebrating the strength and diversity of Native and Indigenous communities.

Distribution and engagement strategy:

• Video content was shared via Native Forward’s digital channels and Supaman’s highly engaged following.
• The campaign was amplified through grassroots educational networks and social media engagement strategies.
• Shareability, cultural representation, and community resonance were prioritized over one-time views.

This was not a transactional influencer activation. It was a values-aligned collaboration rooted in the shared goal of breaking down barriers to education and increasing Native student visibility.

Key challenge addressed:
Native students remain vastly underrepresented in higher education and face unique systemic barriers. Native Forward provides culturally congruent student support and programming that has succeeded in increasing the graduation rates of undergraduate students to 69%—compared to the national average of 41% for Native students—and increasing the rate for graduate students to 95%. This campaign was one more way of reinforcing that success, and extending our reach to even more students.

Results

The Supaman partnership generated both measurable reach and lasting community influence:

• 300,000+ views across platforms in the first month.
• Thousands of shares, comments, and saves from highly engaged viewers.
• Increase in traffic to Native Forward’s scholarship application portal during the campaign period.
• Notable rise in first-time visitor engagement, with many citing the video as their first introduction to Native Forward.

The audience's response revealed deep emotional impact..

By aligning Native Forward’s mission with Supaman’s artistry and voice, the campaign not only met its objectives but set a benchmark for authentic, culturally grounded influencer partnerships—one that sparked pride, representation, and across Native and non-Native communities.

Media