Issues with Moving

[AvalonAuggie]

So, I've recently moved from the Midwest to upstate New York, and this is stressful for a number of obvious reasons, but this is a great town and I'm trying to see if I fit in well here, and one of the things that would help me settle in is getting a better spiritual feel for the place.

My initial observations are that there's a very different spiritual personality at work here: The rocks are different, the water tastes different, the trees are different. Back home I was used to having everything trace back to the Mississippi, and the flow of energy was familiar.
Now I'm living on one of the Finger Lakes, and in addition to glacial lakes being completely different from a big freaking river, this was part of the Iroquois homeland and I desperately need to brush up on that history. I want to get a sense of how Iroquois spirituality works, if it's not a closed culture, not to co-opt it, but just to get a fuller understanding of what entities are at work in the region.

Does anyone have any suggestions for say, offerings, or a general way for me to say "Hi, I'm new here and I'd like to know who I'll be honoring" without grievously offending someone?
I'm going to need to do a lot of walking around, clearly, but the hills are already murder on my legs. xd I'm much more out of shape than I thought.  

[Brass Bell Doll]

I think if you are concerned about offending people, rather than looking to Native peoples and their traditions, you could set out an offering that comes from you. It may seem like reinventing the wheel, but at least you run less of a risk of offending people.  

[Cranium Squirrel]

Auggie! You're probably in my backyard. 3nodding

Also, I don't really know what to say RE spirit of the land deals. It's not my thing. I know the region produces a lot of wine now, if that helps anything. That being said, I'd go with Doll's assessment: Lay out what feels right to you, an offering from you and not of an attempt at fitting in with the locals, and see if you get any takers.

It'd be akin to presenting yourself to the locals rather than trying to get their customs before you even know them - they'll get a better idea of who you are and if they want to talk to you, I suppose. 3nodding  

[AvalonAuggie]

Thanks to both of you for the advice! The only research I did ahead of time was geological, which was actually quite helpful.
So, I made a little "Hello, My Name Is Blank, How Do You Do?" offering and very quickly afterward observed a couple of signs indicating that the message was received, though I don't know by whom.
I know next to nothing about interpretation of bird flight (Latin class was a long time ago), but do ducks jump out to anyone as particularly indicative of something?  

[Brass Bell Doll]

When I have heard of ducks flying being a sign of hope and prosperity.  

[LorienLlewellyn]

I agree with the others that a general and heartfelt introduction is fine. As long as you are respectful and mean well, I wouldn't really worry about any offense being taken. 3nodding

I am in central New York. New York state has a ton of variety. We have cities, suburbs, farm land, woods, and fields. We have lakes, rivers, streams, creeks, swamps, and dry land. We have all four seasons. The dirt can vary from town to town (some places are sandy, others have a lot of clay, etc.) We have lots of parks and museums. Etc.

So there is always some way to connect with nature and the land, no matter what you're into! If you're not feeling it in one area, a move even 20 minutes away can give you a completely different vibe!

If you want to brush up on some local history, see what museums and such are near you. For example, here in Syracuse we have Sainte Marie. For the more spiritual side, explore the land and keeping walking (of course). Get familiar with the wildlife. Feel out the local cemeteries. Etc. And you should do fine! 3nodding  

[FlySammyJ]

Another forum that I frequent has a topic related to creating "spiritual profiles" of specific places. The first post has a decent example, and points out a few leads to get you started. Here's a link.