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In October on Lifou, a traditional twin-hulled vessel was pushed into the lagoon – a seemingly minor event that marked a deeply symbolic moment.

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

Seafarer and campaigner Aile Tikoure was behind the launch. For the past eight years, he has overseen a project that seeks to restore heritage canoe building in New Caledonia.

Many heritage vessels have been built in an effort aimed at reconnecting local Kanak populations with their seafaring legacy. Tikoure states the boats also promote the “start of conversation” around ocean rights and environmental policies.

International Advocacy

During the summer month of July, he visited France and conferred with President Emmanuel Macron, advocating for marine policies shaped with and by local tribes that recognise their relationship with the sea.

“Previous generations always navigated the ocean. We abandoned that practice for a while,” Tikoure states. “Currently we’re rediscovering it again.”

Canoes hold profound traditional significance in New Caledonia. They once represented movement, trade and tribal partnerships across islands, but those traditions declined under colonial rule and religious conversion efforts.

Heritage Restoration

This mission commenced in 2016, when the New Caledonia government’s culture department was exploring how to restore ancestral boat-making techniques. Tikoure collaborated with the authorities and following a two-year period the canoe construction project – known as Project Kenu Waan – was launched.

“The biggest challenge was not cutting down trees, it was gaining local support,” he explains.

Initiative Accomplishments

The initiative aimed to restore heritage voyaging practices, train young builders and use vessel construction to strengthen cultural identity and regional collaboration.

So far, the organization has produced an exhibition, published a book and facilitated the construction or restoration of approximately thirty vessels – from the far south to Ponerihouen.

Natural Resources

In contrast to many other oceanic nations where deforestation has diminished wood resources, New Caledonia still has appropriate timber for carving large hulls.

“In other places, they often work with marine plywood. Locally, we can still carve solid logs,” he says. “It makes all the difference.”

The canoes constructed under the Kenu Waan Project integrate traditional boat forms with Melanesian rigging.

Educational Expansion

Starting recently, Tikoure has also been teaching maritime travel and heritage building techniques at the local university.

“This marks the initial occasion these topics are included at master’s level. It goes beyond textbooks – this is knowledge I’ve personally undertaken. I’ve navigated major waters on traditional boats. I’ve experienced profound emotion during these journeys.”

Pacific Partnerships

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

“Across the Pacific, through various islands, it’s the same movement,” he explains. “We’re taking back the maritime heritage as a community.”

Political Engagement

In July, Tikoure visited the French city to share a “Indigenous perspective of the marine environment” when he conferred with Macron and other leaders.

In front of government and foreign officials, he pushed for shared maritime governance based on local practices and participation.

“You have to involve them – particularly people dependent on marine resources.”

Modern Adaptation

Currently, when sailors from various island nations – from Fiji, the Micronesian region and New Zealand – visit Lifou, they analyze boats in cooperation, refine the construction and ultimately navigate in unison.

“We’re not simply replicating the traditional forms, we enable their progression.”

Integrated Mission

According to Tikoure, instructing mariners and advocating environmental policy are linked.

“It’s all about public engagement: who has the right to navigate marine territories, and who determines which activities take place there? The canoe is a way to initiate that discussion.”