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This past October on Lifou island, a double-hulled canoe was pushed into the lagoon – a small act that signified a profoundly important moment.

It was the first launch of a traditional canoe on Lifou in living memory, an gathering that united the island’s three chiefly clans in a rare show of unity.

Activist and sailor Aile Tikoure was the driving force behind the launch. For the last 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 effort designed to reconnect local Kanak populations with their oceanic traditions. Tikoure states the boats also promote the “start of conversation” around maritime entitlements and ecological regulations.

Diplomatic Efforts

In July, he travelled to France and had discussions with President Emmanuel Macron, advocating for marine policies shaped with and by native populations that acknowledge their maritime heritage.

“Previous generations always crossed the sea. We forgot that knowledge for a while,” Tikoure says. “Today we’re reclaiming it again.”

Heritage boats hold deep cultural meaning in New Caledonia. They once symbolised mobility, trade and tribal partnerships across islands, but those customs declined under colonial rule and religious conversion efforts.

Cultural Reclamation

The initiative started in 2016, when the New Caledonia cultural authorities was considering how to restore heritage vessel construction methods. Tikoure collaborated with the authorities and after two years the canoe construction project – known as the Kenu Waan initiative – was established.

“The hardest part wasn’t harvesting timber, it was gaining local support,” he explains.

Initiative Accomplishments

The program sought to revive traditional navigation techniques, mentor apprentice constructors and use vessel construction to strengthen cultural identity and inter-island cooperation.

To date, the group has organized a showcase, published a book and facilitated the creation or repair of around 30 canoes – from the southern region to the northern shoreline.

Material Advantages

Different from many other oceanic nations where tree loss has limited lumber availability, New Caledonia still has appropriate timber for crafting substantial vessels.

“In other places, they often employ synthetic materials. In our location, we can still work with whole trees,” he states. “This creates a crucial distinction.”

The canoes constructed under the program merge Polynesian hull design with regional navigation methods.

Teaching Development

Since 2024, Tikoure has also been teaching navigation and ancestral craft methods at the University of New Caledonia.

“It’s the first time this knowledge are included at advanced education. This isn’t academic – these are experiences I’ve lived. I’ve crossed oceans on these canoes. I’ve felt overwhelming happiness doing it.”

Regional Collaboration

He traveled with the team of the Fijian vessel, the heritage craft that journeyed to Tonga for the Pacific Islands Forum in 2024.

“Across the Pacific, from Fiji to here, this represents a unified effort,” he explains. “We’re taking back the maritime heritage collectively.”

Political Engagement

This past July, Tikoure visited the European location to introduce a “Kanak vision of the sea” when he met with Macron and other leaders.

Addressing official and international delegates, he argued for shared maritime governance based on local practices and local engagement.

“You have to involve them – especially those who live from fishing.”

Modern Adaptation

Now, when sailors from across the Pacific – from the Fijian islands, Micronesia and Aotearoa – visit Lifou, they analyze boats collectively, refine the construction and finally voyage together.

“It’s not about duplicating the ancient designs, we help them develop.”

Comprehensive Vision

In his view, teaching navigation and advocating environmental policy are linked.

“The core concept concerns how we involve people: who is entitled to travel ocean waters, and what authority governs what occurs on it? Traditional vessels is a way to initiate that discussion.”