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During the autumn month of October on Lifou, a double-hulled canoe was pushed into the lagoon – a simple gesture that marked a deeply symbolic moment.

It was the maiden journey of a ancestral vessel on Lifou in generations, an gathering that united the island’s main family lineages in a exceptional demonstration of solidarity.

Activist and sailor Aile Tikoure was instrumental in the launch. For the past eight years, he has spearheaded a program that aims to revive heritage canoe building in New Caledonia.

Numerous traditional boats have been constructed in an effort intended to reunite native Kanak communities with their oceanic traditions. Tikoure states the boats also facilitate the “opening of discussions” around sea access rights and environmental policies.

International Advocacy

This past July, he travelled to France and had discussions with President Emmanuel Macron, advocating for maritime regulations developed alongside and by native populations that acknowledge their relationship with the sea.

“Previous generations always navigated the ocean. We forgot that knowledge for a time,” Tikoure states. “Now we’re finding it again.”

Traditional vessels hold deep cultural significance in New Caledonia. They once represented travel, trade and family cooperations across islands, but those traditions faded under colonial rule and religious conversion efforts.

Cultural Reclamation

The initiative began in 2016, when the New Caledonia cultural authorities was looking at how to reintroduce ancestral boat-making techniques. Tikoure collaborated with the government and following a two-year period the vessel restoration program – known as the Kenu Waan initiative – was launched.

“The hardest part was not cutting down trees, it was persuading communities,” he says.

Initiative Accomplishments

The Kenu Waan project sought to revive traditional navigation techniques, mentor apprentice constructors and use canoe-making to reinforce cultural identity and inter-island cooperation.

Up to now, the group has created a display, published a book and facilitated the construction or restoration of nearly three dozen boats – from the far south to the northeastern coast.

Resource Benefits

Unlike many other island territories where deforestation has reduced timber supplies, New Caledonia still has proper lumber for constructing major boats.

“Elsewhere, they often use synthetic materials. Here, we can still craft from natural timber,” he explains. “That represents all the difference.”

The vessels constructed under the initiative integrate oceanic vessel shapes with regional navigation methods.

Teaching Development

Since 2024, Tikoure has also been educating students in seafaring and ancestral craft methods at the University of New Caledonia.

“It’s the first time these topics are offered at master’s level. It’s not theory – it’s something I’ve experienced. I’ve sailed vast distances on these vessels. I’ve cried tears of joy while accomplishing this.”

Island Cooperation

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

“From Hawaii to Rapa Nui, from Fiji to here, this represents a unified effort,” he explains. “We’re reclaiming the ocean collectively.”

Policy Advocacy

In July, Tikoure journeyed to the French city to present a “Indigenous perspective of the sea” when he met with Macron and other leaders.

Before state and international delegates, he pushed for collaborative ocean management based on Indigenous traditions and participation.

“We must engage local populations – especially those who live from fishing.”

Contemporary Evolution

Now, when sailors from across the Pacific – from the Fijian islands, the Micronesian region and Aotearoa – come to Lifou, they study canoes together, modify the design and ultimately voyage together.

“We don’t just copy the old models, we help them develop.”

Comprehensive Vision

In his view, instructing mariners and advocating environmental policy are linked.

“The fundamental issue involves public engagement: what permissions exist to navigate marine territories, and who decides which activities take place there? Traditional vessels is a way to begin that dialogue.”