Native Hands opens in Green Valley Village

A businessman with a creative and keen eye for international handmade pieces, Harry March has reinvented his retail passion for works by indigenous peoples and has opened with a new name — Native Hands — in a new location.

Formerly known as Sailing Traders and located next to Ace Hardware, March’s new retail shop is next to the Green Valley Barber Shop in the recently renamed Green Valley Village.

He says he changed locations for one simple and important reason: greater visibility.

Playing on the increased visibility, March has built two mobile “retablos” that bring a colorful collection of store items to the outdoor front patio area. There’s also a wagon loaded with an assortment of potted cactus and pieces made by international native hands — all for sale.

These colorful, eye-catching portable units draw lookers inside to see a much greater array of gift and for-the-home items.

What March has done is expand his best-selling items from Panama, Nicaragua, Haiti, Costa Rica, Mexico, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Thailand, Indonesia, China, South Africa and Mozambique, making Native Hands a whole new discovery for both residents and visitors.

“Over the years, I developed good contacts with sales reps in different countries,” March said when asked how he amassed the eclectic international collection.

Among the many new items are colorfully knit, decorative sweaters and scarves for toddlers made in Peru. March said they’re definitely a “grandmother” item.

Intricate and colorful beaded jewelry from Guatemala is another eye-catching display. Then there are molas—coin purses and eyeglass cases sewn by the Kuna Indians in the San Blas Islands of Panama. Using layers of colorful cloth they are exquisitely handcrafted.

March prides himself on the knowledge of how the various gift items are made and the peoples around the world who crafted them. He offers his knowledge to buyers and will often include a printed piece of information with the purchase.

His message to readers about Native Hands is simple: “We have unique, handmade gifts from around the world and feature lots of items not available in other gift shops… in Green Valley we’re a one-of-a-kind shop.”

Whether it’s a gift to give or a gift to keep, Native Hands is a new attraction to explore.

Through September, Native Hands will be open 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Ellen Sussman is a freelance writer in Green Valley. Contact her at ellen2414@cox.net.