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This past October on Lifou island, a ancient-style canoe was pushed into the turquoise waters – a small act that represented a highly meaningful moment.

It was the first launch of a ancestral vessel on Lifou in generations, an event that united the island’s main family lineages in a rare show of unity.

Seafarer and campaigner Aile Tikoure was instrumental in the launch. For the previous eight-year period, he has led a program that seeks to restore heritage canoe building in New Caledonia.

Numerous traditional boats have been built in an project aimed at reconnecting local Kanak populations with their maritime heritage. Tikoure says the boats also help the “opening of discussions” around maritime entitlements and conservation measures.

International Advocacy

This past July, he visited France and met President Emmanuel Macron, advocating for maritime regulations developed alongside and by local tribes that honor their maritime heritage.

“Forefathers always crossed the sea. We forgot that knowledge for a time,” Tikoure states. “Now we’re finding it again.”

Traditional vessels hold profound traditional significance in New Caledonia. They once stood for movement, trade and family cooperations across islands, but those traditions faded under foreign occupation and missionary influences.

Tradition Revival

The initiative began in 2016, when the New Caledonia government’s culture department was looking at how to restore ancestral boat-making techniques. Tikoure collaborated with the government and following a two-year period the canoe construction project – known as Project Kenu Waan – was established.

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

Program Successes

The initiative worked to bring back heritage voyaging practices, train young builders and use vessel construction to enhance cultural identity and island partnerships.

To date, the organization has produced an exhibition, released a publication and enabled the creation or repair of around 30 canoes – from Goro to Ponerihouen.

Material Advantages

Unlike many other oceanic nations where tree loss has limited timber supplies, New Caledonia still has proper lumber for crafting substantial vessels.

“Elsewhere, they often use synthetic materials. Here, we can still carve solid logs,” he says. “It makes a significant advantage.”

The canoes constructed under the program merge oceanic vessel shapes with local sailing systems.

Educational Expansion

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

“This marks the initial occasion this knowledge are offered at advanced education. It goes beyond textbooks – this is knowledge I’ve lived. I’ve navigated major waters on traditional boats. I’ve cried tears of joy during these journeys.”

Island Cooperation

He traveled with the members of the Fijian vessel, the heritage craft that sailed to Tonga for the regional gathering in 2024.

“From Hawaii to Rapa Nui, including our location, it’s the same movement,” he says. “We’re reclaiming the sea as a community.”

Governance Efforts

In July, Tikoure journeyed to Nice, France to introduce a “Indigenous perspective of the sea” when he had discussions with Macron and additional officials.

In front of government and overseas representatives, he argued for collaborative ocean management based on local practices and participation.

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

Contemporary Evolution

Now, when navigators from throughout the region – from Fiji, Micronesia and New Zealand – arrive in Lifou, they analyze boats together, adjust the structure and eventually voyage together.

“We don’t just copy the traditional forms, we make them evolve.”

Comprehensive Vision

For Tikoure, educating sailors and supporting ecological regulations are linked.

“The fundamental issue involves community participation: who has the right to travel ocean waters, and who decides which activities take place there? Heritage boats serve as a method to start that conversation.”