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In October on the island of Lifou, a double-hulled canoe was set afloat in the turquoise waters – a small act that signified a profoundly important moment.

It was the inaugural voyage of a traditional canoe on Lifou in living memory, an gathering that assembled the island’s three chiefly clans in a uncommon display of togetherness.

Mariner and advocate Aile Tikoure was the driving force behind the launch. For the past eight years, he has spearheaded a initiative that aims to revive ancestral vessel construction in New Caledonia.

Many heritage vessels have been built in an initiative intended to reunite local Kanak populations with their seafaring legacy. Tikoure states the boats also promote the “beginning of dialogue” around sea access rights and environmental policies.

Diplomatic Efforts

During the summer month of July, he travelled to France and met President Emmanuel Macron, calling for maritime regulations created in consultation with and by local tribes that honor their maritime heritage.

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

Heritage boats hold deep cultural importance in New Caledonia. They once symbolised travel, exchange and family cooperations across islands, but those practices faded under colonial rule and outside cultural pressures.

Tradition Revival

His journey started in 2016, when the New Caledonia government’s culture department was exploring how to restore traditional canoe-building skills. Tikoure partnered with the government and following a two-year period the canoe construction project – known as Kenu Waan project – was launched.

“The hardest part was not cutting down trees, it was convincing people,” he notes.

Program Successes

The program sought to revive traditional navigation techniques, mentor apprentice constructors and use boat-building to enhance traditional heritage and regional collaboration.

Up to now, the group has organized a showcase, issued a volume and supported the building or renovation of nearly three dozen boats – from Goro to Ponerihouen.

Resource Benefits

Different from many other oceanic nations where deforestation has reduced wood resources, New Caledonia still has proper lumber for carving large hulls.

“There, they often employ marine plywood. In our location, we can still carve solid logs,” he explains. “That represents all the difference.”

The canoes constructed under the initiative combine Polynesian hull design with regional navigation methods.

Academic Integration

Beginning this year, Tikoure has also been educating students in navigation and ancestral craft methods at the University of New Caledonia.

“It’s the first time this knowledge are taught at master’s level. It goes beyond textbooks – these are experiences I’ve experienced. I’ve navigated major waters on traditional boats. I’ve felt overwhelming happiness doing it.”

Island Cooperation

Tikoure sailed with the members of the Fijian vessel, the Fijian canoe that sailed to Tonga for the regional gathering in 2024.

“Throughout the region, including our location, it’s the same movement,” he explains. “We’re taking back the maritime heritage together.”

Political Engagement

During the summer, Tikoure travelled to Nice, France to share a “Kanak vision of the ocean” when he met with Macron and other leaders.

In front of government and overseas representatives, he argued for shared maritime governance based on Indigenous traditions and community involvement.

“We must engage these communities – most importantly fishing communities.”

Contemporary Evolution

Today, when navigators from various island nations – from the Fijian islands, the Micronesian region and New Zealand – visit Lifou, they analyze boats collectively, adjust the structure and ultimately sail side by side.

“We’re not simply replicating the ancient designs, we help them develop.”

Integrated Mission

According to Tikoure, educating sailors and supporting ecological regulations are linked.

“It’s all about community participation: who is entitled to move across the sea, and what authority governs which activities take place on it? Traditional vessels function as a means to start that conversation.”