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In October on Lifou, a traditional twin-hulled vessel was set afloat in the coastal lagoon – a small act that marked a profoundly important moment.

It was the first launch of a ancestral vessel on Lifou in living memory, an event that brought together the island’s three chiefly clans in a rare show of unity.

Mariner and advocate Aile Tikoure was instrumental in the launch. For the past eight years, he has led a project that aims to revive traditional boat making in New Caledonia.

Many heritage vessels have been crafted in an initiative intended to reunite native Kanak communities with their oceanic traditions. Tikoure explains the boats also help the “beginning of dialogue” around ocean rights and conservation measures.

International Advocacy

In July, he visited France and met President Emmanuel Macron, advocating for ocean governance created in consultation with and by local tribes that recognise their relationship with the sea.

“Previous generations always navigated the ocean. We forgot that knowledge for a period,” Tikoure states. “Today we’re reclaiming it again.”

Heritage boats hold profound traditional importance in New Caledonia. They once stood for mobility, trade and tribal partnerships across islands, but those customs declined under colonial rule and outside cultural pressures.

Heritage Restoration

This mission commenced in 2016, when the New Caledonia cultural authorities was considering how to reintroduce traditional canoe-building skills. Tikoure worked with the authorities and two years later the canoe construction project – known as Project Kenu Waan – was born.

“The most difficult aspect wasn’t harvesting timber, it was convincing people,” he explains.

Initiative Accomplishments

The program worked to bring back heritage voyaging practices, mentor apprentice constructors and use canoe-making to strengthen traditional heritage and inter-island cooperation.

To date, the team has produced an exhibition, released a publication and supported the building or renovation of around 30 canoes – from the far south to Ponerihouen.

Resource Benefits

Different from many other island territories where forest clearing has reduced lumber availability, New Caledonia still has suitable wood for crafting substantial vessels.

“Elsewhere, they often use synthetic materials. Locally, we can still craft from natural timber,” he says. “This creates a significant advantage.”

The boats built under the Kenu Waan Project merge traditional boat forms with local sailing systems.

Teaching Development

Since 2024, Tikoure has also been teaching navigation and heritage building techniques at the educational institution.

“This marks the initial occasion these subjects are offered at advanced education. This isn’t academic – it’s something I’ve experienced. I’ve crossed oceans on these vessels. I’ve cried tears of joy while accomplishing this.”

Regional Collaboration

He voyaged with the crew of the traditional boat, the Pacific vessel that traveled to Tonga for the oceanic conference in 2024.

“From Hawaii to Rapa Nui, through various islands, it’s the same movement,” he says. “We’re taking back the sea together.”

Policy Advocacy

In July, Tikoure travelled to the French city to share a “Kanak vision of the sea” when he conferred with Macron and other leaders.

In front of government and foreign officials, he pushed for shared maritime governance based on Indigenous traditions and local engagement.

“We must engage them – particularly fishing communities.”

Contemporary Evolution

Today, when navigators from throughout the region – from the Fijian islands, the Micronesian region and Aotearoa – visit Lifou, they study canoes together, modify the design and ultimately voyage together.

“We’re not simply replicating the traditional forms, we enable their progression.”

Holistic Approach

In his view, teaching navigation and advocating environmental policy are interrelated.

“The fundamental issue involves community participation: who is entitled to travel ocean waters, and what authority governs what happens in these waters? The canoe serve as a method to start that conversation.”