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In October on Lifou island, a double-hulled canoe was pushed into the turquoise waters – a simple gesture that marked a deeply symbolic moment.

It was the inaugural voyage of a ancestral vessel on Lifou in generations, an occasion that brought together the island’s main family lineages in a exceptional demonstration of solidarity.

Mariner and advocate Aile Tikoure was the driving force behind the launch. For the past eight years, he has overseen a program that seeks to restore ancestral vessel construction in New Caledonia.

Dozens of canoes have been crafted in an effort designed to reconnect Indigenous Kanak people with their maritime heritage. Tikoure says the boats also facilitate the “opening of discussions” around sea access rights and environmental policies.

Diplomatic Efforts

This past July, he journeyed to France and conferred with President Emmanuel Macron, pushing for marine policies developed alongside and by native populations that honor their relationship with the sea.

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

Traditional vessels hold deep cultural significance in New Caledonia. They once symbolised mobility, interaction and clan alliances across islands, but those traditions diminished under colonisation and outside cultural pressures.

Heritage Restoration

His journey began in 2016, when the New Caledonia government’s culture department was looking at how to reintroduce traditional canoe-building skills. Tikoure partnered with the government and two years later the boat building initiative – known as Kenu Waan project – was born.

“The most difficult aspect wasn’t harvesting timber, it was gaining local support,” he notes.

Program Successes

The program worked to bring back heritage voyaging practices, mentor apprentice constructors and use boat-building to enhance community pride and inter-island cooperation.

Up to now, the team has produced an exhibition, issued a volume and facilitated the creation or repair of approximately thirty vessels – from Goro to Ponerihouen.

Natural Resources

Different from many other Pacific islands where deforestation has reduced lumber availability, New Caledonia still has appropriate timber for carving large hulls.

“Elsewhere, they often work with modern composites. Locally, we can still craft from natural timber,” he states. “That represents all the difference.”

The canoes created under the program combine Polynesian hull design with regional navigation methods.

Educational Expansion

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

“For the first time ever this knowledge are taught at graduate studies. It’s not theory – this is knowledge I’ve lived. I’ve crossed oceans on these vessels. I’ve experienced profound emotion during these journeys.”

Island Cooperation

He traveled with the members of the Uto ni Yalo, the Pacific vessel that journeyed to Tonga for the oceanic conference in 2024.

“From Hawaii to Rapa Nui, from Fiji to here, we’re part of a collective initiative,” he states. “We’re taking back the sea collectively.”

Governance Efforts

During the summer, Tikoure visited the European location to introduce a “Traditional understanding of the ocean” when he conferred with Macron and other leaders.

Addressing official and foreign officials, he pushed for collaborative ocean management based on local practices and community involvement.

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

Contemporary Evolution

Currently, when mariners from various island nations – from the Fijian islands, the Micronesian region and Aotearoa – arrive in Lifou, they study canoes collectively, modify the design and ultimately navigate in unison.

“It’s not about duplicating the old models, we help them develop.”

Integrated Mission

In his view, instructing mariners and supporting ecological regulations are linked.

“It’s all about public engagement: who has the right to move across the sea, and who decides what happens in these waters? The canoe function as a means to initiate that discussion.”