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During the autumn month of October on Lifou island, a traditional twin-hulled vessel was pushed into the turquoise waters – a seemingly minor event that marked a deeply symbolic moment.

It was the inaugural voyage of a traditional canoe on Lifou in living memory, an event that brought together the island’s three chiefly clans in a rare show of unity.

Activist and sailor Aile Tikoure was instrumental in the launch. For the previous eight-year period, he has overseen a program that works to resurrect traditional boat making in New Caledonia.

Many heritage vessels have been built in an initiative intended to reunite local Kanak populations with their oceanic traditions. Tikoure explains the boats also facilitate the “start of conversation” around sea access rights and environmental policies.

International Advocacy

This past July, he journeyed to France and met President Emmanuel Macron, advocating for ocean governance created in consultation with and by native populations that honor their connection to the ocean.

“Our ancestors always traveled by water. We lost that for a while,” Tikoure explains. “Currently we’re rediscovering it again.”

Canoes hold significant historical importance in New Caledonia. They once symbolised mobility, exchange and family cooperations across islands, but those customs diminished under colonial rule and missionary influences.

Cultural Reclamation

The initiative began in 2016, when the New Caledonia heritage ministry was considering how to restore traditional canoe-building skills. Tikoure worked with the administration and following a two-year period the boat building initiative – known as Kenu Waan project – was launched.

“The hardest part wasn’t cutting down trees, it was gaining local support,” he explains.

Project Achievements

The initiative aimed to restore ancestral sailing methods, mentor apprentice constructors and use canoe-making to enhance traditional heritage and island partnerships.

So far, the group has organized a showcase, published a book and facilitated the creation or repair of nearly three dozen boats – from the far south to the northern shoreline.

Resource Benefits

Different from many other oceanic nations where forest clearing has diminished timber supplies, New Caledonia still has proper lumber for constructing major boats.

“In other places, they often employ synthetic materials. Here, we can still craft from natural timber,” he says. “It makes a crucial distinction.”

The boats constructed under the program merge Polynesian hull design with local sailing systems.

Academic Integration

Beginning this year, Tikoure has also been educating students in navigation and heritage building techniques at the University of New Caledonia.

“This marks the initial occasion these subjects are offered at advanced education. It’s not theory – these are experiences I’ve personally undertaken. I’ve crossed oceans on these vessels. I’ve experienced profound emotion doing it.”

Pacific Partnerships

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

“Throughout the region, through various islands, we’re part of a collective initiative,” he explains. “We’re reclaiming the maritime heritage together.”

Governance Efforts

This past July, Tikoure visited the French city to introduce a “Traditional understanding of the sea” when he conferred with Macron and other leaders.

In front of government and international delegates, he argued for cooperative sea policies based on local practices and community involvement.

“We must engage these communities – especially fishing communities.”

Contemporary Evolution

Now, when navigators from throughout the region – from Fiji, Micronesia and Aotearoa – arrive in Lifou, they examine vessels in cooperation, adjust the structure and ultimately voyage together.

“We don’t just copy the traditional forms, we enable their progression.”

Holistic Approach

According to Tikoure, instructing mariners and advocating environmental policy are interrelated.

“It’s all about public engagement: who is entitled to travel ocean waters, and what authority governs what occurs there? The canoe function as a means to start that conversation.”