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This past October on the island of Lifou, a double-hulled canoe was pushed into the coastal lagoon – 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 rare show of unity.

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

Numerous traditional boats have been constructed in an effort intended to reunite local Kanak populations with their oceanic traditions. Tikoure explains the boats also facilitate the “beginning of dialogue” around ocean rights and ecological regulations.

Diplomatic Efforts

In July, he journeyed to France and met President Emmanuel Macron, calling for marine policies shaped with and by Indigenous communities that acknowledge their maritime heritage.

“Forefathers always crossed the sea. We abandoned that practice for a time,” Tikoure explains. “Currently we’re rediscovering it again.”

Canoes hold deep cultural significance in New Caledonia. They once stood for movement, exchange and tribal partnerships across islands, but those practices diminished under foreign occupation and outside cultural pressures.

Tradition Revival

His journey started in 2016, when the New Caledonia cultural authorities was exploring how to bring back traditional canoe-building skills. Tikoure partnered with the government and following a two-year period the canoe construction project – known as Kenu Waan project – was born.

“The most difficult aspect was not harvesting timber, it was convincing people,” he says.

Program Successes

The initiative sought to revive ancestral sailing methods, train young builders and use canoe-making to reinforce cultural identity and regional collaboration.

Up to now, the team has produced an exhibition, issued a volume and enabled the creation or repair of around 30 canoes – from the far south to the northern shoreline.

Natural Resources

Different from many other island territories where tree loss has limited timber supplies, New Caledonia still has suitable wood for carving large hulls.

“Elsewhere, they often use modern composites. Locally, we can still craft from natural timber,” he states. “That represents a significant advantage.”

The canoes constructed under the program integrate traditional boat forms with Melanesian rigging.

Educational Expansion

Beginning this year, Tikoure has also been instructing navigation and ancestral craft methods at the University of New Caledonia.

“It’s the first time this knowledge are taught at advanced education. It’s not theory – it’s something I’ve lived. I’ve sailed vast distances on these vessels. I’ve felt overwhelming happiness while accomplishing this.”

Island Cooperation

He traveled with the members of the traditional boat, the heritage craft that traveled to Tonga for the regional gathering in 2024.

“Throughout the region, including our location, it’s the same movement,” he says. “We’re reclaiming the sea as a community.”

Governance Efforts

During the summer, Tikoure journeyed to the French city to present a “Kanak vision of the sea” when he had discussions with Macron and other leaders.

In front of government and foreign officials, he argued for collaborative ocean management based on local practices and local engagement.

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

Current Development

Now, when sailors from across the Pacific – from Fiji, Micronesia and New Zealand – visit Lifou, they study canoes together, modify the design and ultimately navigate in unison.

“We don’t just copy the ancient designs, we make them evolve.”

Holistic Approach

According to Tikoure, instructing mariners and advocating environmental policy are connected.

“The fundamental issue involves community participation: who is entitled to move across the sea, and who determines what happens on it? Traditional vessels serve as a method to begin that dialogue.”