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During the autumn month of October on the island of Lifou, a double-hulled canoe was launched into 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 many decades, an event that brought together the island’s primary tribal groups in a rare show of unity.

Seafarer and campaigner Aile Tikoure was behind the launch. For the last eight years, he has led a program that works to resurrect ancestral vessel construction in New Caledonia.

Dozens of canoes have been built in an project aimed at reconnecting local Kanak populations with their seafaring legacy. Tikoure explains the boats also help the “start of conversation” around sea access rights and ecological regulations.

Global Outreach

During the summer month of July, he travelled to France and met President Emmanuel Macron, advocating for maritime regulations shaped with and by Indigenous communities that acknowledge their relationship with the sea.

“Previous generations always crossed the sea. We abandoned that practice for a period,” Tikoure says. “Today we’re reclaiming it again.”

Heritage boats hold profound traditional significance in New Caledonia. They once symbolised movement, interaction and tribal partnerships across islands, but those practices declined under colonial rule and outside cultural pressures.

Tradition Revival

The initiative began in 2016, when the New Caledonia cultural authorities was looking at how to reintroduce traditional canoe-building skills. Tikoure collaborated with the administration and following a two-year period the vessel restoration program – known as Project Kenu Waan – was born.

“The biggest challenge was not cutting down trees, it was gaining local support,” he says.

Project Achievements

The Kenu Waan project worked to bring back traditional navigation techniques, train young builders and use vessel construction to enhance community pride and island partnerships.

To date, the team has organized a showcase, published a book and supported the construction or restoration of around 30 canoes – from Goro to Ponerihouen.

Resource Benefits

In contrast to many other oceanic nations where tree loss has limited wood resources, New Caledonia still has suitable wood for crafting substantial vessels.

“Elsewhere, they often work with synthetic materials. Here, we can still carve solid logs,” he states. “This creates a crucial distinction.”

The boats created under the initiative combine oceanic vessel shapes with regional navigation methods.

Teaching Development

Beginning this year, Tikoure has also been teaching seafaring and ancestral craft methods at the educational institution.

“It’s the first time these topics are taught at graduate studies. It goes beyond textbooks – these are experiences I’ve experienced. I’ve sailed vast distances on these canoes. I’ve cried tears of joy while accomplishing this.”

Pacific Partnerships

He traveled with the members of the Uto ni Yalo, the Fijian canoe 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 states. “We’re taking back the maritime heritage as a community.”

Governance Efforts

In July, Tikoure travelled to the French city to present a “Indigenous perspective of the marine environment” when he met with Macron and government representatives.

Before state and foreign officials, he advocated for collaborative ocean management based on Kanak custom and community involvement.

“We must engage them – most importantly those who live from fishing.”

Current Development

Currently, when mariners from throughout the region – from the Fijian islands, the Micronesian region and Aotearoa – arrive in Lifou, they study canoes together, adjust the structure and eventually sail side by side.

“We’re not simply replicating the ancient designs, we enable their progression.”

Holistic Approach

According to Tikoure, educating sailors and promoting conservation measures are linked.

“It’s all about how we involve people: what permissions exist to travel ocean waters, and who decides what occurs there? Traditional vessels serve as a method to initiate that discussion.”