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In October on Lifou island, a double-hulled canoe was set afloat in the turquoise waters – a seemingly minor event that represented a profoundly important moment.

It was the maiden journey of a heritage boat on Lifou in living memory, an event that brought together the island’s three chiefly clans in a uncommon display of togetherness.

Activist and sailor Aile Tikoure was behind the launch. For the last eight years, he has led a program that aims to revive traditional boat making in New Caledonia.

Many heritage vessels have been constructed in an effort intended to reunite native Kanak communities with their maritime heritage. Tikoure says the boats also facilitate the “beginning of dialogue” around maritime entitlements and conservation measures.

Diplomatic Efforts

In July, he journeyed to France and conferred with President Emmanuel Macron, pushing for ocean governance developed alongside and by local tribes that acknowledge their relationship with the sea.

“Our ancestors always crossed the sea. We lost that for a time,” Tikoure says. “Currently we’re rediscovering it again.”

Canoes hold significant historical meaning in New Caledonia. They once symbolised mobility, interaction and clan alliances across islands, but those practices diminished under foreign occupation and outside cultural pressures.

Tradition Revival

The initiative began in 2016, when the New Caledonia heritage ministry was looking at how to reintroduce ancestral boat-making techniques. Tikoure worked with the authorities and following a two-year period the boat building initiative – known as Kenu Waan project – was born.

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

Program Successes

The program aimed to restore heritage voyaging practices, train young builders and use canoe-making to strengthen cultural identity and island partnerships.

So far, the team has produced an exhibition, published a book and supported the creation or repair of around 30 canoes – from the far south to Ponerihouen.

Natural Resources

In contrast to many other island territories where tree loss has reduced timber supplies, New Caledonia still has proper lumber for constructing major boats.

“There, they often work with modern composites. Here, we can still craft from natural timber,” he states. “This creates a crucial distinction.”

The boats constructed under the Kenu Waan Project merge oceanic vessel shapes with local sailing systems.

Academic Integration

Since 2024, Tikoure has also been teaching maritime travel and traditional construction history at the educational institution.

“It’s the first time this knowledge are offered at graduate studies. This isn’t academic – it’s something I’ve personally undertaken. I’ve navigated major waters on these vessels. I’ve felt overwhelming happiness while accomplishing this.”

Regional Collaboration

He voyaged with the team of the Fijian vessel, the Fijian canoe that journeyed to Tonga for the regional gathering in 2024.

“Across the Pacific, including our location, this represents a unified effort,” he states. “We’re taking back the maritime heritage collectively.”

Governance Efforts

During the summer, Tikoure visited Nice, France to share a “Indigenous perspective of the sea” when he conferred with Macron and government representatives.

Addressing official and overseas representatives, he pushed for collaborative ocean management based on local practices and participation.

“We must engage these communities – particularly fishing communities.”

Current Development

Currently, when sailors from various island nations – from the Fijian islands, the Micronesian region and Aotearoa – come to Lifou, they study canoes collectively, adjust the structure and ultimately navigate in unison.

“We’re not simply replicating the traditional forms, we make them evolve.”

Holistic Approach

In his view, instructing mariners and advocating environmental policy are connected.

“The core concept concerns community participation: who has the right to navigate marine territories, and what authority governs which activities take place in these waters? The canoe serve as a method to begin that dialogue.”