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In October on Lifou, a double-hulled canoe was set afloat in the coastal lagoon – a seemingly minor event that signified a profoundly important moment.

It was the first launch of a ancestral vessel on Lifou in many decades, an gathering that assembled the island’s three chiefly clans in a exceptional demonstration of solidarity.

Seafarer and campaigner Aile Tikoure was the driving force behind the launch. For the previous eight-year period, he has led a initiative that works to resurrect traditional boat making in New Caledonia.

Numerous traditional boats have been constructed in an effort aimed at reconnecting native Kanak communities with their seafaring legacy. Tikoure explains the boats also facilitate the “beginning of dialogue” around ocean rights and ecological regulations.

Diplomatic Efforts

This past July, he journeyed to France and met President Emmanuel Macron, calling for maritime regulations shaped with and by native populations that honor their connection to the ocean.

“Our ancestors always crossed the sea. We forgot that knowledge for a time,” Tikoure explains. “Today we’re reclaiming it again.”

Heritage boats hold deep cultural meaning in New Caledonia. They once stood for movement, interaction and tribal partnerships across islands, but those practices faded under colonisation and religious conversion efforts.

Heritage Restoration

This mission commenced in 2016, when the New Caledonia heritage ministry was looking at how to restore heritage vessel construction methods. Tikoure partnered with the authorities and after two years the canoe construction project – known as the Kenu Waan initiative – was launched.

“The biggest challenge wasn’t harvesting timber, it was persuading communities,” he says.

Program Successes

The initiative sought to revive heritage voyaging practices, train young builders and use boat-building to enhance community pride and regional collaboration.

Up to now, the group has produced an exhibition, published a book and supported the building or renovation of around 30 canoes – from Goro to the northern shoreline.

Natural Resources

Different from many other island territories where forest clearing has limited timber supplies, New Caledonia still has suitable wood for crafting substantial vessels.

“Elsewhere, they often employ marine plywood. In our location, we can still carve solid logs,” he states. “That represents a significant advantage.”

The boats built under the Kenu Waan Project combine traditional boat forms with regional navigation methods.

Educational Expansion

Beginning this year, Tikoure has also been educating students in seafaring and ancestral craft methods at the local university.

“For the first time ever these subjects are taught at advanced education. It’s not theory – these are experiences I’ve lived. I’ve sailed vast distances on these vessels. I’ve experienced profound emotion while accomplishing this.”

Regional Collaboration

Tikoure sailed with the team of the Uto ni Yalo, the heritage craft that sailed to Tonga for the Pacific Islands Forum in 2024.

“From Hawaii to Rapa Nui, through various islands, it’s the same movement,” he explains. “We’re restoring the sea together.”

Political Engagement

In July, Tikoure travelled to the French city to share a “Traditional understanding of the marine environment” when he conferred with Macron and additional officials.

Before state and overseas representatives, he argued for shared maritime governance based on local practices and participation.

“It’s essential to include them – especially fishing communities.”

Contemporary Evolution

Now, when navigators from across the Pacific – from the Fijian islands, the Micronesian region and Aotearoa – come to Lifou, they study canoes in cooperation, refine the construction and eventually sail side by side.

“We don’t just copy the old models, we make them evolve.”

Holistic Approach

In his view, instructing mariners and promoting conservation measures are connected.

“The core concept concerns how we involve people: what permissions exist to travel ocean waters, and what authority governs what occurs there? Traditional vessels function as a means to start that conversation.”