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During the autumn month of October on Lifou, a double-hulled canoe was set afloat in the turquoise waters – a small act that signified a highly meaningful moment.

It was the inaugural voyage of a ancestral vessel on Lifou in many decades, an occasion that brought together the island’s primary tribal groups in a rare show of unity.

Seafarer and campaigner Aile Tikoure was the driving force behind the launch. For the last eight years, he has spearheaded a program that works to resurrect traditional boat making in New Caledonia.

Dozens of canoes have been crafted in an effort designed to reconnect Indigenous Kanak people with their seafaring legacy. Tikoure explains the boats also help the “start of conversation” around sea access rights and ecological regulations.

International Advocacy

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

“Our ancestors always navigated the ocean. We forgot that knowledge for a time,” Tikoure explains. “Today we’re reclaiming it again.”

Heritage boats hold profound traditional meaning in New Caledonia. They once symbolised travel, trade and clan alliances across islands, but those traditions faded under foreign occupation and outside cultural pressures.

Cultural Reclamation

His journey started in 2016, when the New Caledonia heritage ministry was exploring how to restore heritage vessel construction methods. Tikoure collaborated with the administration and two years later the canoe construction project – known as Kenu Waan project – was launched.

“The hardest part was not harvesting timber, it was gaining local support,” he explains.

Initiative Accomplishments

The initiative worked to bring back heritage voyaging practices, mentor apprentice constructors and use boat-building to strengthen community pride and regional collaboration.

To date, the organization has created a display, published a book and enabled the creation or repair of approximately thirty vessels – from the southern region to the northeastern coast.

Natural Resources

Different from many other island territories where deforestation has reduced lumber availability, New Caledonia still has proper lumber for carving large hulls.

“In other places, they often use marine plywood. Here, we can still craft from natural timber,” he explains. “This creates a significant advantage.”

The canoes constructed under the initiative combine oceanic vessel shapes with local sailing systems.

Academic Integration

Starting recently, Tikoure has also been educating students in navigation and ancestral craft methods at the University of New Caledonia.

“This marks the initial occasion these subjects are taught at master’s level. It goes beyond textbooks – these are experiences I’ve personally undertaken. I’ve sailed vast distances on traditional boats. I’ve felt overwhelming happiness doing it.”

Pacific Partnerships

He voyaged with the crew of the Uto ni Yalo, the heritage craft that journeyed to Tonga for the oceanic conference in 2024.

“From Hawaii to Rapa Nui, including our location, it’s the same movement,” he states. “We’re restoring the maritime heritage collectively.”

Policy Advocacy

In July, Tikoure journeyed to the European location to present a “Indigenous perspective of the sea” when he conferred with Macron and other leaders.

Before state and international delegates, he pushed for shared maritime governance based on Indigenous traditions and participation.

“It’s essential to include local populations – most importantly fishing communities.”

Contemporary Evolution

Now, when sailors from across the Pacific – from Fiji, the Micronesian region and Aotearoa – visit Lifou, they study canoes in cooperation, modify the design and eventually navigate in unison.

“We don’t just copy the ancient designs, we enable their progression.”

Holistic Approach

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

“The core concept concerns public engagement: who is entitled to navigate marine territories, and who decides what occurs on it? The canoe serve as a method to initiate that discussion.”