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During the autumn month of October on Lifou island, a double-hulled canoe was pushed into the turquoise waters – a simple gesture that represented a profoundly important moment.

It was the first launch of a heritage boat on Lifou in living memory, an occasion that assembled the island’s main family lineages in a rare show of unity.

Activist and sailor Aile Tikoure was behind the launch. For the past eight years, he has led a project that seeks to restore ancestral vessel construction in New Caledonia.

Numerous traditional boats have been constructed in an project intended to reunite local Kanak populations with their maritime heritage. Tikoure explains the boats also help the “start of conversation” around sea access rights and ecological regulations.

Global Outreach

This past July, he travelled to France and conferred with President Emmanuel Macron, calling for ocean governance shaped with and by native populations that recognise their connection to the ocean.

“Our ancestors always traveled by water. We lost that for a period,” Tikoure says. “Now we’re finding it again.”

Canoes hold profound traditional meaning in New Caledonia. They once stood for travel, interaction and tribal partnerships across islands, but those traditions declined under colonisation and religious conversion efforts.

Tradition Revival

His journey commenced in 2016, when the New Caledonia government’s culture department was exploring how to bring back ancestral boat-making techniques. Tikoure partnered with the government and two years later the vessel restoration program – known as Kenu Waan project – was launched.

“The biggest challenge didn’t involve harvesting timber, it was convincing people,” he explains.

Project Achievements

The program aimed to restore heritage voyaging practices, mentor apprentice constructors and use vessel construction to reinforce cultural identity and island partnerships.

So far, the group has organized a showcase, published a book and facilitated the building or renovation of around 30 canoes – from Goro to Ponerihouen.

Natural Resources

Different from many other Pacific islands where tree loss has diminished lumber availability, New Caledonia still has proper lumber for carving large hulls.

“In other places, they often employ synthetic materials. In our location, we can still carve solid logs,” he explains. “This creates all the difference.”

The vessels constructed under the Kenu Waan Project integrate oceanic vessel shapes with regional navigation methods.

Academic Integration

Beginning this year, Tikoure has also been teaching maritime travel and ancestral craft methods at the University of New Caledonia.

“This marks the initial occasion these topics are taught at graduate studies. This isn’t academic – these are experiences I’ve lived. I’ve sailed vast distances on these canoes. I’ve experienced profound emotion during these journeys.”

Island Cooperation

Tikoure sailed with the team of the traditional boat, the heritage craft that sailed to Tonga for the oceanic conference in 2024.

“Throughout the region, through various islands, this represents a unified effort,” he says. “We’re restoring the ocean collectively.”

Policy Advocacy

In July, Tikoure journeyed to the European location to introduce a “Kanak vision of the ocean” when he met with Macron and additional officials.

Before state and international delegates, he pushed for cooperative sea policies based on local practices and community involvement.

“We must engage local populations – especially those who live from fishing.”

Modern Adaptation

Now, when navigators from various island nations – from the Fijian islands, the Micronesian region and Aotearoa – arrive in Lifou, they study canoes in cooperation, adjust the structure and eventually navigate in unison.

“We’re not simply replicating the ancient designs, we make them evolve.”

Integrated Mission

For Tikoure, teaching navigation and supporting ecological regulations are linked.

“The core concept concerns public engagement: who is entitled to navigate marine territories, and what authority governs what occurs on it? The canoe serve as a method to initiate that discussion.”