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In October on Lifou island, a double-hulled canoe was pushed into the coastal lagoon – a small act that signified a deeply symbolic moment.

It was the maiden journey of a heritage boat on Lifou in generations, an event that brought together the island’s main family lineages in a rare show of unity.

Seafarer and campaigner Aile Tikoure was behind the launch. For the previous eight-year period, he has led a initiative that seeks to restore ancestral vessel construction in New Caledonia.

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

Diplomatic Efforts

In July, he journeyed to France and met President Emmanuel Macron, advocating for marine policies shaped with and by Indigenous communities that acknowledge their maritime heritage.

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

Traditional vessels hold deep cultural importance in New Caledonia. They once represented travel, trade and family cooperations across islands, but those customs faded under colonial rule and outside cultural pressures.

Heritage Restoration

This mission commenced in 2016, when the New Caledonia government’s culture department was exploring how to reintroduce traditional canoe-building skills. Tikoure collaborated with the administration and two years later the canoe construction project – known as Kenu Waan project – was launched.

“The most difficult aspect was not cutting down trees, it was persuading communities,” he notes.

Project Achievements

The Kenu Waan project aimed to restore heritage voyaging practices, educate new craftspeople and use boat-building to strengthen cultural identity and regional collaboration.

So far, the organization has organized a showcase, published a book and enabled the creation or repair of nearly three dozen boats – from the far south to the northeastern coast.

Natural Resources

In contrast to many other island territories where tree loss has reduced wood resources, New Caledonia still has suitable wood for crafting substantial vessels.

“There, they often work with modern composites. Here, we can still carve solid logs,” he explains. “It makes a significant advantage.”

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

Teaching Development

Starting recently, Tikoure has also been educating students in seafaring and heritage building techniques at the University of New Caledonia.

“This marks the initial occasion these topics are included at master’s level. It’s not theory – this is knowledge I’ve experienced. I’ve sailed vast distances on traditional boats. I’ve experienced profound emotion while accomplishing this.”

Pacific Partnerships

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

“From Hawaii to Rapa Nui, from Fiji to here, we’re part of a collective initiative,” he says. “We’re reclaiming the maritime heritage together.”

Political Engagement

This past July, Tikoure journeyed to Nice, France to introduce a “Indigenous perspective of the sea” when he conferred with Macron and additional officials.

Addressing official and foreign officials, he advocated for cooperative sea policies based on Kanak custom and community involvement.

“We must engage local populations – especially people dependent on marine resources.”

Contemporary Evolution

Now, when navigators from across the Pacific – from the Fijian islands, Micronesia and New Zealand – come to Lifou, they examine vessels in cooperation, modify the design and finally voyage together.

“We don’t just copy the traditional forms, we help them develop.”

Integrated Mission

For Tikoure, instructing mariners and promoting conservation measures are connected.

“The core concept concerns community participation: who has the right to move across the sea, and who determines what happens in these waters? The canoe is a way to start that conversation.”