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

It was the maiden journey of a traditional canoe on Lifou in living memory, an occasion that united the island’s main family lineages in a exceptional demonstration of solidarity.

Seafarer and campaigner Aile Tikoure was the driving force behind the launch. For the past eight years, he has led a program that works to resurrect traditional boat making in New Caledonia.

Dozens of canoes have been constructed in an initiative designed to reconnect native Kanak communities with their maritime heritage. Tikoure states the boats also facilitate the “start of conversation” around sea access rights and conservation measures.

International Advocacy

During the summer month of July, he journeyed to France and had discussions with President Emmanuel Macron, pushing for ocean governance shaped with and by native populations that honor their maritime heritage.

“Forefathers always traveled by water. We abandoned that practice for a while,” Tikoure states. “Today we’re reclaiming it again.”

Heritage boats hold deep cultural significance in New Caledonia. They once stood for travel, exchange and family cooperations across islands, but those practices declined under foreign occupation and religious conversion efforts.

Heritage Restoration

This mission started in 2016, when the New Caledonia cultural authorities was considering how to reintroduce traditional canoe-building skills. Tikoure worked with the administration and after two years the canoe construction project – known as the Kenu Waan initiative – was launched.

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

Project Achievements

The initiative aimed to restore ancestral sailing methods, mentor apprentice constructors and use canoe-making to strengthen community pride and inter-island cooperation.

Up to now, the team has organized a showcase, issued a volume and supported the construction or restoration of nearly three dozen boats – from the far south to the northern shoreline.

Natural Resources

Different from many other island territories where deforestation has reduced timber supplies, New Caledonia still has suitable wood for crafting substantial vessels.

“In other places, they often work with modern composites. Here, we can still craft from natural timber,” he states. “It makes a crucial distinction.”

The boats built under the Kenu Waan Project merge traditional boat forms with regional navigation methods.

Educational Expansion

Beginning this year, Tikoure has also been teaching seafaring and traditional construction history at the University of New Caledonia.

“For the first time ever these subjects are offered at master’s level. It’s not theory – it’s something I’ve personally undertaken. I’ve crossed oceans on traditional boats. I’ve felt overwhelming happiness while accomplishing this.”

Island Cooperation

He traveled with the team of the Uto ni Yalo, the heritage craft that traveled to Tonga for the Pacific Islands Forum in 2024.

“Throughout the region, from Fiji to here, we’re part of a collective initiative,” he says. “We’re taking back the sea together.”

Policy Advocacy

During the summer, Tikoure visited the French city to introduce a “Indigenous perspective of the ocean” when he conferred with Macron and government representatives.

Before state and overseas representatives, he advocated for cooperative sea policies based on Kanak custom and participation.

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

Contemporary Evolution

Today, when navigators from various island nations – from Fiji, Micronesia and New Zealand – come to Lifou, they examine vessels in cooperation, modify the design and finally voyage together.

“It’s not about duplicating the traditional forms, we make them evolve.”

Holistic Approach

According to Tikoure, instructing mariners and supporting ecological regulations are interrelated.

“It’s all about public engagement: what permissions exist to travel ocean waters, and what authority governs which activities take place on it? Traditional vessels function as a means to start that conversation.”