From One State Worker to Another
to un-huli the canoe
Back in January, Governor Aberbrombie wrote a mass email to state workers, entitled "From One State Worker to Another." Lori Nordlum received this email as a legal secretary in the Attorney General's office. She wrote him back.
From Aunty Lori:
Dear Governor Abercrombie,
Aloha Kakahiaka! Your State of the State Address was something we all needed to hear. It is true. We all need to help un-huli the canoe. As a state worker, I am willing to do my part.
As 'ohana of our Hawaii Nei, if we all do our part and put our heads and hearts together, I know we can do it. We can get out of this puka.
My name is Lori Nordlum. I am 67 years old. I live in Princess Kahanu Estates Hawaiian Homestead in Nanakuli. My mama was 100% Hawaiian and daddy was Filipino/Spanish.
I grew up on the old Nanakuli Hawaiian Homestead. We grew up poor but nevertheless happy because of the Hawaiian values mama and daddy taught us, to malama each other and share what little we had with others. We were always grateful for everying we had. We have good health, a roof over our heads, and food in our stomach.
We didn't have all the conveniences of life growing up. We had no running water, no electricity, and no indoor toilet. My sisters and I washed our pots and pans at Nanakuli Beach, using the sand to clean the dishes and the ocean water to rinse them. We carried buckets of water home for drinking and cooking. We only went to Nakatani's Store to buy bread, milk and poi. Everything else daddy planted in the backyard. He also raised pigs, chickens and goats to feed us. We never went hungry. We knew we had to cooperate and share to live in harmony. We did it.
Today I'm a legal secretary at the Attorney General's Office. I have a B.A. in Communications and I have served on the Board of Directors of the Princess Kahanu Estates Association as a charter member for the past 15 years. I am also a member of the Elders of Waianae who volunteer our time to protect and defend our community from landfills and from rich developers wanting to rezone good agricultural land to industrial use, at the expense of the community's health, safety and welfare.
If there is anything I can do, Governor Abercrombie, to help you unhuli the canoe, please let me know. My days are very long, catching the 93 Express bus at 6:30 in the morning to go to work in town, and arriving home at 7:00 at night.
I love my community. I love the Waianae Coast. Nanakuli is where I learned my Hawaiian values that I will never trade for anything in the world.
Finally, I am so happy Barrack Obama is our nation's President. He grew up in Hawaii living the aloha spirit and he has the mana that will bring our country together, even if there are some who would love to destroy that mana.
Hawaii has so much to be proud of. With you as Governor and Barrack Obama as President. We are all so blessed. I think this was all meant to be.
Malama pono,
Lori Kuuiponoheaokahalelaulani Nordlum
KAHEA is proud to work with Aunty Lori and other members of the Concerned Elders of Wai'anae through the Environmental Justice Working Group. Mahalo to all the Aunties and Uncles for their efforts on behalf of their community, and in defense of Hawai'i Nei!
