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In October on Lifou island, a ancient-style canoe was pushed into the coastal lagoon – a small act that signified a profoundly important moment.

It was the first launch of a heritage boat on Lifou in living memory, an occasion that united the island’s primary tribal groups in a rare show of unity.

Activist and sailor Aile Tikoure was behind the launch. For the previous eight-year period, he has spearheaded a program that works to resurrect heritage canoe building in New Caledonia.

Numerous traditional boats have been built in an project aimed at reconnecting local Kanak populations with their maritime heritage. Tikoure states the boats also help the “opening of discussions” around sea access rights and ecological regulations.

Global Outreach

In July, he travelled to France and had discussions with President Emmanuel Macron, calling for ocean governance shaped with and by native populations that acknowledge their relationship with the sea.

“Our ancestors always crossed the sea. We lost that for a time,” Tikoure explains. “Now we’re finding it again.”

Canoes hold profound traditional significance in New Caledonia. They once stood for travel, interaction and clan alliances across islands, but those traditions declined under colonial rule and religious conversion efforts.

Cultural Reclamation

His journey began in 2016, when the New Caledonia heritage ministry was exploring how to bring back heritage vessel construction methods. Tikoure collaborated with the authorities and after two years the vessel restoration program – known as the Kenu Waan initiative – was born.

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

Program Successes

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

To date, the group has organized a showcase, issued a volume and enabled the construction or restoration of around 30 canoes – from the southern region to the northeastern coast.

Natural Resources

Unlike many other Pacific islands where tree loss has limited wood resources, New Caledonia still has suitable wood for constructing major boats.

“There, they often use marine plywood. Locally, we can still craft from natural timber,” he says. “It makes a significant advantage.”

The vessels built under the program merge Polynesian hull design with regional navigation methods.

Academic Integration

Beginning this year, Tikoure has also been instructing maritime travel and ancestral craft methods at the University of New Caledonia.

“It’s the first time these subjects are offered at graduate studies. This isn’t academic – this is knowledge I’ve experienced. I’ve sailed vast distances on these vessels. I’ve felt overwhelming happiness during these journeys.”

Pacific Partnerships

He voyaged with the team of the Fijian vessel, the heritage craft that traveled to Tonga for the regional gathering in 2024.

“Across the Pacific, from Fiji to here, we’re part of a collective initiative,” he explains. “We’re reclaiming the sea as a community.”

Governance Efforts

This past July, Tikoure visited Nice, France to introduce a “Traditional understanding of the sea” when he had discussions with Macron and additional officials.

In front of government and international delegates, he advocated for collaborative ocean management based on Indigenous traditions and participation.

“We must engage these communities – particularly people dependent on marine resources.”

Contemporary Evolution

Now, when sailors from various island nations – from Fiji, the Micronesian region and Aotearoa – come to Lifou, they study canoes collectively, adjust the structure and ultimately navigate in unison.

“We’re not simply replicating the old models, we make them evolve.”

Holistic Approach

In his view, educating sailors and advocating environmental policy are linked.

“The core concept concerns how we involve people: who has the right to navigate marine territories, and who determines what occurs in these waters? Heritage boats function as a means to initiate that discussion.”