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During the autumn month of October on the island of Lifou, a double-hulled canoe was launched into the turquoise waters – a simple gesture that represented a highly meaningful moment.

It was the maiden journey of a ancestral vessel on Lifou in generations, an gathering that united the island’s primary tribal groups in a uncommon display of togetherness.

Mariner and advocate Aile Tikoure was the driving force behind the launch. For the previous eight-year period, he has led a program that seeks to restore traditional boat making in New Caledonia.

Numerous traditional boats have been constructed in an effort designed to reconnect local Kanak populations with their seafaring legacy. Tikoure says the boats also promote the “start of conversation” around sea access rights and ecological regulations.

Diplomatic Efforts

During the summer month of July, he journeyed to France and met President Emmanuel Macron, calling for maritime regulations developed alongside and by local tribes that acknowledge their connection to the ocean.

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

Canoes hold deep cultural significance in New Caledonia. They once stood for mobility, exchange and clan alliances across islands, but those customs faded under foreign occupation and outside cultural pressures.

Heritage Restoration

His journey began in 2016, when the New Caledonia government’s culture department was looking at how to bring back ancestral boat-making techniques. Tikoure worked with the government and after two years the canoe construction project – known as the Kenu Waan initiative – was established.

“The most difficult aspect was not harvesting timber, it was gaining local support,” he says.

Initiative Accomplishments

The program aimed to restore heritage voyaging practices, mentor apprentice constructors and use vessel construction to enhance traditional heritage and regional collaboration.

So far, the team has organized a showcase, issued a volume and enabled the creation or repair of approximately thirty vessels – from the southern region to the northern shoreline.

Material Advantages

In contrast to many other Pacific islands where deforestation has limited timber supplies, New Caledonia still has suitable wood for crafting substantial vessels.

“Elsewhere, they often employ modern composites. Here, we can still carve solid logs,” he explains. “This creates all the difference.”

The boats built under the Kenu Waan Project merge oceanic vessel shapes with regional navigation methods.

Academic Integration

Since 2024, Tikoure has also been teaching navigation and traditional construction history at the University of New Caledonia.

“For the first time ever this knowledge are taught at graduate studies. It’s not theory – this is knowledge I’ve lived. I’ve sailed vast distances on these vessels. I’ve cried tears of joy during these journeys.”

Regional Collaboration

He traveled with the team of the traditional boat, the Pacific vessel that journeyed to Tonga for the regional gathering in 2024.

“Across the Pacific, from Fiji to here, this represents a unified effort,” he explains. “We’re reclaiming the sea as a community.”

Policy Advocacy

In July, Tikoure journeyed to Nice, France to introduce a “Kanak vision of the ocean” when he had discussions with Macron and government representatives.

In front of government and overseas representatives, he argued for shared maritime governance based on local practices and local engagement.

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

Modern Adaptation

Today, when sailors from across the Pacific – from the Fijian islands, Micronesia and Aotearoa – come to Lifou, they study canoes collectively, modify the design and finally sail side by side.

“It’s not about duplicating the old models, we enable their progression.”

Holistic Approach

According to Tikoure, educating sailors and supporting ecological regulations are connected.

“It’s all about community participation: what permissions exist to navigate marine territories, and who determines what happens there? The canoe is a way to start that conversation.”