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This past October on Lifou, a ancient-style canoe was set afloat in the coastal lagoon – a seemingly minor event that represented a highly meaningful moment.

It was the inaugural voyage of a ancestral vessel on Lifou in generations, an gathering that brought together the island’s three chiefly clans in a uncommon display of togetherness.

Mariner and advocate Aile Tikoure was instrumental in the launch. For the past eight years, he has spearheaded a initiative that seeks to restore traditional boat making in New Caledonia.

Numerous traditional boats have been crafted in an initiative designed to reconnect Indigenous Kanak people with their oceanic traditions. Tikoure states the boats also facilitate the “opening of discussions” around ocean rights and conservation measures.

Global Outreach

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

“Our ancestors always navigated the ocean. We abandoned that practice for a while,” Tikoure says. “Currently we’re rediscovering it again.”

Heritage boats hold significant historical significance in New Caledonia. They once stood for travel, interaction and family cooperations across islands, but those traditions declined under foreign occupation and outside cultural pressures.

Heritage Restoration

His journey started in 2016, when the New Caledonia government’s culture department was looking at how to bring back traditional canoe-building skills. Tikoure worked with the administration and after two years the canoe construction project – known as Kenu Waan project – was established.

“The most difficult aspect was not wood collection, it was gaining local support,” he notes.

Program Successes

The initiative sought to revive ancestral sailing methods, mentor apprentice constructors and use vessel construction to strengthen cultural identity and regional collaboration.

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

Material Advantages

Unlike many other oceanic nations where tree loss has diminished lumber availability, New Caledonia still has suitable wood for crafting substantial vessels.

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

The boats built under the Kenu Waan Project integrate traditional boat forms with Melanesian rigging.

Educational Expansion

Since 2024, Tikoure has also been educating students in navigation and heritage building techniques at the local university.

“This marks the initial occasion these subjects are included at advanced education. It goes beyond textbooks – this is knowledge I’ve lived. I’ve navigated major waters on these vessels. I’ve felt overwhelming happiness during these journeys.”

Pacific Partnerships

Tikoure sailed with the members of the Fijian vessel, the Fijian canoe that sailed to Tonga for the Pacific Islands Forum in 2024.

“Across the Pacific, through various islands, we’re part of a collective initiative,” he says. “We’re restoring the sea together.”

Governance Efforts

In July, Tikoure journeyed to the French city to share a “Indigenous perspective of the sea” when he conferred with Macron and government representatives.

Before state and international delegates, he argued for collaborative ocean management based on Indigenous traditions and local engagement.

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

Contemporary Evolution

Today, when mariners from across the Pacific – from the Fijian islands, the Micronesian region and New Zealand – come to Lifou, they examine vessels collectively, refine the construction and ultimately sail side by side.

“We don’t just copy the traditional forms, we make them evolve.”

Holistic Approach

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

“The core concept concerns community participation: who has the right to move across the sea, and who determines what happens there? Heritage boats serve as a method to start that conversation.”