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In October on Lifou, a ancient-style canoe was launched into the turquoise waters – a seemingly minor event that represented a profoundly important moment.

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

Activist and sailor Aile Tikoure was instrumental in the launch. For the previous eight-year period, he has spearheaded a initiative that works to resurrect heritage canoe building in New Caledonia.

Numerous traditional boats have been built in an effort aimed at reconnecting Indigenous Kanak people with their oceanic traditions. Tikoure states the boats also help the “start of conversation” around maritime entitlements and ecological regulations.

Global Outreach

This past July, he travelled to France and met President Emmanuel Macron, calling for marine policies created in consultation with and by local tribes that acknowledge their maritime heritage.

“Our ancestors always navigated the ocean. We lost that for a period,” Tikoure states. “Now we’re finding it again.”

Canoes hold significant historical meaning in New Caledonia. They once symbolised travel, exchange and clan alliances across islands, but those practices faded under foreign occupation and missionary influences.

Cultural Reclamation

The initiative began in 2016, when the New Caledonia heritage ministry was considering how to reintroduce ancestral boat-making techniques. Tikoure worked with the government and two years later the boat building initiative – known as Kenu Waan project – was launched.

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

Initiative Accomplishments

The Kenu Waan project aimed to restore heritage voyaging practices, mentor apprentice constructors and use boat-building to strengthen traditional heritage and island partnerships.

Up to now, the organization has produced an exhibition, published a book and enabled the construction or restoration of approximately thirty vessels – from the far south to the northeastern coast.

Material Advantages

Unlike many other island territories where forest clearing has diminished lumber availability, New Caledonia still has proper lumber for crafting substantial vessels.

“In other places, they often use synthetic materials. Locally, we can still craft from natural timber,” he explains. “That represents a significant advantage.”

The canoes constructed under the Kenu Waan Project integrate oceanic vessel shapes with local sailing systems.

Academic Integration

Since 2024, Tikoure has also been educating students in seafaring and ancestral craft methods at the local university.

“For the first time ever these subjects are offered at graduate studies. It goes beyond textbooks – it’s something I’ve experienced. I’ve sailed vast distances on traditional boats. I’ve experienced profound emotion doing it.”

Island Cooperation

He voyaged with the crew of the Fijian vessel, the heritage craft that traveled to Tonga for the Pacific Islands Forum in 2024.

“From Hawaii to Rapa Nui, through various islands, we’re part of a collective initiative,” he explains. “We’re reclaiming the sea as a community.”

Governance Efforts

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

Before state and foreign officials, he argued for collaborative ocean management based on Kanak custom and community involvement.

“You have to involve these communities – particularly fishing communities.”

Contemporary Evolution

Currently, when navigators from throughout the region – from the Fijian islands, Micronesia and New Zealand – arrive in Lifou, they examine vessels in cooperation, adjust the structure and eventually sail side by side.

“We’re not simply replicating the old models, we enable their progression.”

Integrated Mission

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

“The core concept concerns public engagement: who is entitled to travel ocean waters, and who decides what occurs on it? Traditional vessels serve as a method to initiate that discussion.”