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This past October on the island of Lifou, a double-hulled canoe was pushed into the lagoon – a small act that signified a highly meaningful moment.

It was the first launch of a traditional canoe on Lifou in many decades, an gathering that united the island’s primary tribal groups in a uncommon display of togetherness.

Mariner and advocate Aile Tikoure was the driving force behind the launch. For the past eight years, he has led a initiative that works to resurrect traditional boat making in New Caledonia.

Many heritage vessels have been built in an project aimed at reconnecting Indigenous Kanak people with their oceanic traditions. Tikoure states the boats also facilitate the “start of conversation” around ocean rights and conservation measures.

Diplomatic Efforts

During the summer month of July, he visited France and met President Emmanuel Macron, pushing for ocean governance shaped with and by Indigenous communities that recognise their connection to the ocean.

“Previous generations always crossed the sea. We forgot that knowledge for a while,” Tikoure explains. “Today we’re reclaiming it again.”

Canoes hold profound traditional importance in New Caledonia. They once symbolised mobility, exchange and tribal partnerships across islands, but those customs declined under colonial rule and religious conversion efforts.

Heritage Restoration

The initiative began in 2016, when the New Caledonia heritage ministry was considering how to reintroduce ancestral boat-making techniques. Tikoure collaborated with the government and after two years the canoe construction project – known as Project Kenu Waan – was established.

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

Project Achievements

The initiative worked to bring back ancestral sailing methods, educate new craftspeople and use boat-building to reinforce cultural identity and inter-island cooperation.

So far, the team has created a display, published a book and supported the building or renovation of approximately thirty vessels – from the southern region to Ponerihouen.

Natural Resources

Unlike many other Pacific islands where forest clearing has diminished lumber availability, New Caledonia still has suitable wood for crafting substantial vessels.

“Elsewhere, they often use synthetic materials. Here, we can still carve solid logs,” he says. “It makes a significant advantage.”

The canoes created under the Kenu Waan Project merge Polynesian hull design with local sailing systems.

Academic Integration

Since 2024, Tikoure has also been instructing navigation and traditional construction history at the local university.

“It’s the first time these subjects are included at graduate studies. It goes beyond textbooks – these are experiences I’ve experienced. I’ve navigated major waters on these canoes. I’ve experienced profound emotion doing it.”

Island Cooperation

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

“Throughout the region, through various islands, it’s the same movement,” he states. “We’re restoring the ocean together.”

Policy Advocacy

In July, Tikoure visited Nice, France to present a “Indigenous perspective of the sea” when he met with Macron and other leaders.

Addressing official and overseas representatives, he advocated for shared maritime governance based on Indigenous traditions and community involvement.

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

Contemporary Evolution

Currently, when sailors from across the Pacific – from the Fijian islands, Micronesia and New Zealand – arrive in Lifou, they examine vessels together, modify the design and finally navigate in unison.

“We’re not simply replicating the ancient designs, we help them develop.”

Integrated Mission

For Tikoure, educating sailors and supporting ecological regulations are interrelated.

“It’s all about public engagement: what permissions exist to travel ocean waters, and who determines which activities take place on it? The canoe is a way to start that conversation.”