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

It was the first launch of a traditional canoe on Lifou in many decades, an gathering that brought together the island’s primary tribal groups in a rare show of unity.

Activist and sailor Aile Tikoure was behind the launch. For the last eight years, he has led a initiative that seeks to restore heritage canoe building in New Caledonia.

Dozens of canoes have been constructed in an initiative aimed at reconnecting native Kanak communities with their oceanic traditions. Tikoure states the boats also help the “beginning of dialogue” 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, pushing for marine policies created in consultation with and by Indigenous communities that honor their relationship with the sea.

“Previous generations always crossed the sea. We lost that for a period,” Tikoure says. “Currently we’re rediscovering it again.”

Traditional vessels hold profound traditional importance in New Caledonia. They once represented movement, interaction and clan alliances across islands, but those customs faded under foreign occupation and religious conversion efforts.

Heritage Restoration

This mission started in 2016, when the New Caledonia cultural authorities was looking at how to restore traditional canoe-building skills. Tikoure worked with the authorities and after two years the canoe construction project – known as Kenu Waan project – was launched.

“The most difficult aspect didn’t involve harvesting timber, it was convincing people,” he notes.

Initiative Accomplishments

The program aimed to restore ancestral sailing methods, train young builders and use boat-building to strengthen traditional heritage and inter-island cooperation.

To date, the team has created a display, issued a volume and enabled the construction or restoration of approximately thirty vessels – from Goro to the northern shoreline.

Material Advantages

Different from many other oceanic nations where tree loss has diminished timber supplies, New Caledonia still has suitable wood for crafting substantial vessels.

“In other places, they often use marine plywood. Locally, we can still work with whole trees,” he explains. “It makes a crucial distinction.”

The canoes built under the initiative combine Polynesian hull design with regional navigation methods.

Educational Expansion

Beginning this year, Tikoure has also been educating students in maritime travel and ancestral craft methods at the local university.

“For the first time ever these subjects are taught at master’s level. This isn’t academic – these are experiences I’ve lived. I’ve crossed oceans on these canoes. I’ve experienced profound emotion doing it.”

Island Cooperation

Tikoure sailed with the crew of the traditional boat, the heritage craft that traveled to Tonga for the Pacific Islands Forum in 2024.

“From Hawaii to Rapa Nui, including our location, we’re part of a collective initiative,” he explains. “We’re restoring the sea collectively.”

Policy Advocacy

This past July, Tikoure visited the French city to present a “Indigenous perspective of the sea” when he had discussions with Macron and other leaders.

Addressing official and overseas representatives, he advocated for shared maritime governance based on local practices and participation.

“You have to involve them – most importantly those who live from fishing.”

Contemporary Evolution

Today, when navigators from across the Pacific – from the Fijian islands, the Micronesian region and Aotearoa – visit Lifou, they study canoes in cooperation, modify the design and finally sail side by side.

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

Holistic Approach

For Tikoure, instructing mariners and promoting conservation measures are connected.

“The fundamental issue involves community participation: who has the right to move across the sea, and who determines what occurs in these waters? The canoe function as a means to start that conversation.”