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

It was the first launch of a ancestral vessel on Lifou in many decades, an event that brought together the island’s three chiefly clans in a rare show of unity.

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

Dozens of canoes have been constructed in an project intended to reunite native Kanak communities with their oceanic traditions. Tikoure explains the boats also facilitate the “opening of discussions” around maritime entitlements and environmental policies.

International Advocacy

During the summer month of July, he travelled to France and had discussions with President Emmanuel Macron, advocating for marine policies shaped with and by local tribes that honor their relationship with the sea.

“Forefathers always navigated the ocean. We abandoned that practice for a period,” Tikoure states. “Today we’re reclaiming it again.”

Traditional vessels hold profound traditional meaning in New Caledonia. They once represented travel, trade and tribal partnerships across islands, but those practices faded under foreign occupation and religious conversion efforts.

Tradition Revival

His journey commenced in 2016, when the New Caledonia government’s culture department was looking at how to bring back traditional canoe-building skills. Tikoure partnered with the administration and following a two-year period the boat building initiative – known as Kenu Waan project – was established.

“The hardest part didn’t involve cutting down trees, it was persuading communities,” he explains.

Program Successes

The Kenu Waan project worked to bring back ancestral sailing methods, train young builders and use boat-building to enhance cultural identity and inter-island cooperation.

So far, the organization has produced an exhibition, issued a volume and supported the creation or repair of approximately thirty vessels – from the southern region to Ponerihouen.

Resource Benefits

In contrast to many other Pacific islands where forest clearing has reduced lumber availability, New Caledonia still has suitable wood for crafting substantial vessels.

“There, they often employ marine plywood. Here, we can still craft from natural timber,” he states. “That represents all the difference.”

The boats constructed under the Kenu Waan Project combine Polynesian hull design with Melanesian rigging.

Academic Integration

Starting recently, Tikoure has also been instructing maritime travel and ancestral craft methods at the educational institution.

“This marks the initial occasion these subjects are included at master’s level. It goes beyond textbooks – it’s something I’ve personally undertaken. I’ve crossed oceans on these vessels. I’ve experienced profound emotion while accomplishing this.”

Island Cooperation

Tikoure sailed with the crew of the traditional boat, the Fijian canoe that journeyed to Tonga for the oceanic conference in 2024.

“Across the Pacific, from Fiji to here, this represents a unified effort,” he says. “We’re taking back the maritime heritage together.”

Policy Advocacy

In July, Tikoure visited the French city to introduce a “Kanak vision of the marine environment” when he conferred with Macron and government representatives.

In front of government and foreign officials, he pushed for shared maritime governance based on Indigenous traditions and local engagement.

“It’s essential to include local populations – especially people dependent on marine resources.”

Contemporary Evolution

Currently, when navigators from across the Pacific – from Fiji, Micronesia and New Zealand – arrive in Lifou, they study canoes collectively, refine the construction and finally navigate in unison.

“We’re not simply replicating the old models, we make them evolve.”

Holistic Approach

For Tikoure, teaching navigation and promoting conservation measures are connected.

“The core concept concerns community participation: what permissions exist to navigate marine territories, and who determines what occurs on it? The canoe function as a means to initiate that discussion.”