Round Dance Makes Its Indigenous Business Directory Free to Search

Round Dance has opened free searches of its directory of Indigenous-owned and Indigenous-led businesses, organizations and creators ahead of Native American Heritage Month. Visitors can see a search’s first six matches without an account; the site says a free account shows every result without a monthly search limit.

Ben Sherman, a member of the Oglala Lakota Nation, founded Round Dance in 2023 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The platform connects customers, buyers and funders with Indigenous enterprises across the United States and Canada. Its Oct. 29 release says it lists more than 13,000 businesses, organizations and creators across more than 500 Tribal nations, including Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities.

Most listings began with public information gathered online, the company says. Owners can add a business or claim an existing listing, correct its information or request removal at no cost, according to the release.

The site’s current FAQ says a free account also includes five full business-profile views a month. Paid Membership costs US$5 a month and adds search filters, contact information, Introductions and the Knowledge Exchange. An optional Growth tier adds business tools for $15 a month, the pricing page says.

In a 2023 Leger survey for Sodexo Canada, 48% of people who did not directly support Indigenous businesses said they did not know where to find them. The result concerns that group of respondents, rather than all Canadians.

U.S. Census Bureau figures for 2023 count about 55,000 American Indian- and Alaska Native-owned employer firms and 378,000 firms without paid employees. Together, those rounded figures represent about 433,000 businesses with roughly US$86 billion in receipts; about 87% had no paid employees.

Round Dance says sponsors, funders and partner licenses support free directory access. Its Oct. 29 release also advertises Growth free through Dec. 31, 2027, for businesses adding or claiming a listing by Dec. 31, 2026, with no credit card required. It says those choosing to continue would pay $15 a month from 2028.