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

It was the maiden journey of a traditional canoe on Lifou in many decades, an occasion that assembled the island’s three chiefly clans in a exceptional demonstration of solidarity.

Seafarer and campaigner Aile Tikoure was instrumental in the launch. For the previous eight-year period, he has spearheaded a program that aims to revive heritage canoe building in New Caledonia.

Many heritage vessels have been constructed in an project intended to reunite local Kanak populations with their oceanic traditions. Tikoure says the boats also help the “start of conversation” around maritime entitlements and environmental policies.

Global Outreach

During the summer month of July, he journeyed to France and met President Emmanuel Macron, advocating for marine policies created in consultation with and by local tribes that recognise their connection to the ocean.

“Our ancestors always traveled by water. We lost that for a period,” Tikoure explains. “Today we’re reclaiming it again.”

Canoes hold profound traditional meaning in New Caledonia. They once represented mobility, exchange and family cooperations across islands, but those practices diminished under foreign occupation and religious conversion efforts.

Cultural Reclamation

The initiative commenced in 2016, when the New Caledonia heritage ministry was considering how to reintroduce heritage vessel construction methods. Tikoure worked with the government and two years later the boat building initiative – known as Kenu Waan project – was launched.

“The biggest challenge was not wood collection, it was gaining local support,” he explains.

Initiative Accomplishments

The program aimed to restore ancestral sailing methods, educate new craftspeople and use canoe-making to strengthen community pride and regional collaboration.

So far, the group has organized a showcase, published a book and supported the creation or repair of approximately thirty vessels – from Goro to the northeastern coast.

Natural Resources

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

“In other places, they often employ modern composites. Locally, we can still carve solid logs,” he explains. “That represents a crucial distinction.”

The canoes created under the program merge Polynesian hull design with Melanesian rigging.

Teaching Development

Beginning this year, Tikoure has also been instructing navigation and traditional construction history at the University of New Caledonia.

“It’s the first time these subjects are taught at graduate studies. This isn’t academic – these are experiences I’ve experienced. I’ve sailed vast distances on traditional boats. I’ve experienced profound emotion while accomplishing this.”

Island Cooperation

Tikoure sailed with the members of the Uto ni Yalo, the Fijian canoe that journeyed to Tonga for the regional gathering in 2024.

“Throughout the region, through various islands, we’re part of a collective initiative,” he says. “We’re restoring the maritime heritage collectively.”

Political Engagement

In July, Tikoure journeyed to the European location to introduce a “Indigenous perspective of the ocean” when he had discussions with Macron and additional officials.

Addressing official and foreign officials, he pushed for shared maritime governance based on Indigenous traditions and community involvement.

“We must engage them – most importantly fishing communities.”

Modern Adaptation

Today, when navigators from across the Pacific – from Fiji, the Micronesian region and New Zealand – arrive in Lifou, they analyze boats in cooperation, adjust the structure and ultimately sail side by side.

“We’re not simply replicating the traditional forms, we help them develop.”

Holistic Approach

In his view, instructing mariners and supporting ecological regulations are linked.

“It’s all about community participation: who has the right to travel ocean waters, and what authority governs which activities take place there? Traditional vessels serve as a method to start that conversation.”