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In October on Lifou, a traditional twin-hulled vessel was set afloat in the coastal lagoon – a seemingly minor event that signified a profoundly important moment.

It was the inaugural voyage of a traditional canoe on Lifou in many decades, an gathering that united the island’s three chiefly clans in a uncommon display of togetherness.

Mariner and advocate Aile Tikoure was behind the launch. For the previous eight-year period, he has led a program that aims to revive traditional boat making in New Caledonia.

Dozens of canoes have been constructed in an effort aimed at reconnecting Indigenous Kanak people with their maritime heritage. Tikoure explains the boats also help the “opening of discussions” around maritime entitlements and ecological regulations.

Global Outreach

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

“Forefathers always traveled by water. We lost that for a period,” Tikoure says. “Now we’re finding it again.”

Traditional vessels hold significant historical significance in New Caledonia. They once stood for movement, exchange and tribal partnerships across islands, but those practices declined under colonisation and religious conversion efforts.

Cultural Reclamation

The initiative began in 2016, when the New Caledonia cultural authorities was looking at how to reintroduce traditional canoe-building skills. Tikoure partnered with the government and after two years the boat building initiative – known as Project Kenu Waan – was launched.

“The hardest part wasn’t wood collection, it was convincing people,” he says.

Project Achievements

The program aimed to restore heritage voyaging practices, train young builders and use boat-building to strengthen cultural identity and inter-island cooperation.

Up to now, the organization has organized a showcase, released a publication and facilitated the building or renovation of approximately thirty vessels – from the far south to the northern shoreline.

Natural Resources

Unlike many other island territories where forest clearing has diminished wood resources, New Caledonia still has appropriate timber for constructing major boats.

“There, they often work with modern composites. Locally, we can still carve solid logs,” he explains. “That represents a significant advantage.”

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

Academic Integration

Starting recently, Tikoure has also been educating students in navigation and traditional construction history at the local university.

“For the first time ever this knowledge are taught at graduate studies. It goes beyond textbooks – it’s something I’ve personally undertaken. I’ve crossed oceans on these canoes. I’ve felt overwhelming happiness during these journeys.”

Pacific Partnerships

He traveled with the members of the traditional boat, the heritage craft that sailed to Tonga for the regional gathering in 2024.

“From Hawaii to Rapa Nui, including our location, it’s the same movement,” he states. “We’re reclaiming the maritime heritage as a community.”

Governance Efforts

During the summer, Tikoure visited the European location to present a “Indigenous perspective of the sea” when he met with Macron and other leaders.

In front of government and overseas representatives, he argued for cooperative sea policies based on local practices and local engagement.

“You have to involve them – particularly those who live from fishing.”

Modern Adaptation

Currently, when sailors from throughout the region – from Fiji, Micronesia and New Zealand – visit Lifou, they examine vessels together, refine the construction and ultimately voyage together.

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

Holistic Approach

According to Tikoure, teaching navigation and promoting conservation measures are linked.

“It’s all about public engagement: who has the right to navigate marine territories, and who determines what happens on it? The canoe serve as a method to begin that dialogue.”