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This past October on Lifou, a double-hulled canoe was pushed into the turquoise waters – a small act that signified a deeply symbolic moment.

It was the maiden journey of a ancestral vessel on Lifou in generations, an gathering that assembled the island’s three chiefly clans in a uncommon display of togetherness.

Activist and sailor Aile Tikoure was behind the launch. For the past eight years, he has led a program that seeks to restore traditional boat making in New Caledonia.

Many heritage vessels have been crafted in an initiative designed to reconnect Indigenous Kanak people with their oceanic traditions. Tikoure explains the boats also help the “opening of discussions” around sea access rights and conservation measures.

Global Outreach

During the summer month of July, he visited France and met President Emmanuel Macron, pushing for marine policies created in consultation with and by native populations that honor their maritime heritage.

“Previous generations always navigated the ocean. We lost that for a while,” Tikoure explains. “Today we’re reclaiming it again.”

Traditional vessels hold deep cultural significance in New Caledonia. They once represented movement, interaction and clan alliances across islands, but those practices faded under foreign occupation and missionary influences.

Cultural Reclamation

The initiative commenced in 2016, when the New Caledonia heritage ministry was considering how to reintroduce heritage vessel construction methods. Tikoure worked with the administration and two years later the boat building initiative – known as Kenu Waan project – was born.

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

Project Achievements

The Kenu Waan project aimed to restore heritage voyaging practices, mentor apprentice constructors and use boat-building to reinforce community pride and inter-island cooperation.

So far, the group has created a display, published a book and supported the construction or restoration of around 30 canoes – from the southern region to the northern shoreline.

Material Advantages

Different from many other Pacific islands where deforestation has diminished timber supplies, New Caledonia still has appropriate timber for crafting substantial vessels.

“In other places, they often work with synthetic materials. In our location, we can still craft from natural timber,” he states. “It makes a crucial distinction.”

The vessels constructed under the initiative integrate Polynesian hull design with Melanesian rigging.

Academic Integration

Starting recently, Tikoure has also been teaching seafaring and heritage building techniques at the educational institution.

“It’s the first time these topics are taught at graduate studies. This isn’t academic – this is knowledge I’ve experienced. I’ve crossed oceans on these vessels. I’ve cried tears of joy during these journeys.”

Island Cooperation

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

“From Hawaii to Rapa Nui, from Fiji to here, this represents a unified effort,” he states. “We’re reclaiming the sea as a community.”

Political Engagement

This past July, Tikoure journeyed to the European location to introduce a “Indigenous perspective of the sea” when he conferred with Macron and other leaders.

Before state and foreign officials, he argued for shared maritime governance based on local practices and local engagement.

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

Contemporary Evolution

Currently, when navigators from various island nations – from Fiji, the Micronesian region and New Zealand – arrive in Lifou, they study canoes together, refine the construction and eventually navigate in unison.

“It’s not about duplicating the old models, we make them evolve.”

Holistic Approach

For Tikoure, educating sailors and promoting conservation measures are linked.

“The core concept concerns public engagement: who has the right to navigate marine territories, and what authority governs which activities take place there? The canoe function as a means to begin that dialogue.”