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During the autumn month of October on Lifou island, a double-hulled canoe was set afloat in the coastal lagoon – a seemingly minor event that signified a profoundly important moment.

It was the inaugural voyage of a heritage boat on Lifou in living memory, an occasion that united the island’s primary tribal groups in a uncommon display of togetherness.

Seafarer and campaigner Aile Tikoure was the driving force behind the launch. For the previous eight-year period, he has spearheaded a program that works to resurrect heritage canoe building in New Caledonia.

Numerous traditional boats have been crafted in an effort aimed at reconnecting local Kanak populations with their maritime heritage. Tikoure says the boats also promote the “opening of discussions” around sea access rights and ecological regulations.

International Advocacy

During the summer month of July, he visited France and conferred with President Emmanuel Macron, calling for ocean governance created in consultation with and by local tribes that acknowledge their connection to the ocean.

“Previous generations always crossed the sea. We abandoned that practice for a period,” Tikoure says. “Today we’re reclaiming it again.”

Canoes hold significant historical significance in New Caledonia. They once symbolised movement, trade and family cooperations across islands, but those traditions faded under foreign occupation and missionary influences.

Cultural Reclamation

This mission began in 2016, when the New Caledonia government’s culture department was exploring how to restore ancestral boat-making techniques. Tikoure partnered with the authorities and following a two-year period the vessel restoration program – known as the Kenu Waan initiative – was established.

“The hardest part wasn’t wood collection, it was persuading communities,” he says.

Initiative Accomplishments

The program sought to revive heritage voyaging practices, mentor apprentice constructors and use vessel construction to enhance traditional heritage and island partnerships.

So far, the organization has created a display, released a publication and supported the creation or repair of approximately thirty vessels – from Goro to the northeastern coast.

Natural Resources

In contrast to many other island territories where tree loss has reduced timber supplies, New Caledonia still has proper lumber for carving large hulls.

“Elsewhere, they often use modern composites. Locally, we can still carve solid logs,” he states. “That represents all the difference.”

The canoes created under the initiative merge oceanic vessel shapes with local sailing systems.

Teaching Development

Starting recently, Tikoure has also been instructing seafaring and heritage building techniques at the educational institution.

“This marks the initial occasion these subjects are taught at advanced education. It’s not theory – it’s something I’ve lived. I’ve crossed oceans on traditional boats. I’ve experienced profound emotion during these journeys.”

Island Cooperation

He voyaged with the members of the traditional boat, the Pacific vessel that journeyed to Tonga for the Pacific Islands Forum in 2024.

“From Hawaii to Rapa Nui, from Fiji to here, we’re part of a collective initiative,” he says. “We’re restoring the sea as a community.”

Policy Advocacy

During the summer, Tikoure travelled to Nice, France to present a “Indigenous perspective of the sea” when he met with Macron and government representatives.

In front of government and foreign officials, he argued for cooperative sea policies based on Kanak custom and community involvement.

“You have to involve local populations – particularly those who live from fishing.”

Modern Adaptation

Currently, when navigators from across the Pacific – from the Fijian islands, the Micronesian region and Aotearoa – come to Lifou, they examine vessels together, refine the construction and finally navigate in unison.

“We’re not simply replicating the ancient designs, we make them evolve.”

Comprehensive Vision

For Tikoure, educating sailors and promoting conservation measures are linked.

“The core concept concerns public engagement: who has the right to travel ocean waters, and who decides which activities take place on it? The canoe is a way to begin that dialogue.”