🔗 Share this article

In October on the island of Lifou, a traditional twin-hulled vessel was launched into the lagoon – a simple gesture that represented a profoundly important moment.

It was the inaugural voyage of a traditional canoe on Lifou in many decades, an gathering that assembled the island’s main family lineages in a uncommon display of togetherness.

Activist and sailor Aile Tikoure was instrumental in the launch. For the last eight years, he has led a project that works to resurrect traditional boat making in New Caledonia.

Numerous traditional boats have been constructed in an effort intended to reunite local Kanak populations with their oceanic traditions. Tikoure says the boats also facilitate the “beginning of dialogue” around maritime entitlements and conservation measures.

International Advocacy

During the summer month of July, he journeyed to France and conferred with President Emmanuel Macron, calling for maritime regulations shaped with and by Indigenous communities that honor their connection to the ocean.

“Previous generations always traveled by water. We abandoned that practice for a while,” Tikoure explains. “Now we’re finding it again.”

Heritage boats hold deep cultural importance in New Caledonia. They once represented mobility, interaction and clan alliances across islands, but those practices diminished under foreign occupation and religious conversion efforts.

Tradition Revival

His journey started in 2016, when the New Caledonia heritage ministry was exploring how to restore ancestral boat-making techniques. Tikoure collaborated with the authorities and following a two-year period the canoe construction project – known as the Kenu Waan initiative – was established.

“The hardest part wasn’t wood collection, it was gaining local support,” he says.

Program Successes

The initiative aimed to restore traditional navigation techniques, train young builders and use boat-building to strengthen cultural identity and inter-island cooperation.

Up to now, the team has produced an exhibition, published a book and enabled the creation or repair of nearly three dozen boats – from Goro to the northern shoreline.

Material Advantages

Unlike many other oceanic nations where forest clearing has limited timber supplies, New Caledonia still has suitable wood for constructing major boats.

“In other places, they often use synthetic materials. Locally, we can still craft from natural timber,” he says. “This creates a significant advantage.”

The vessels constructed under the program integrate Polynesian hull design with regional navigation methods.

Educational Expansion

Since 2024, Tikoure has also been educating students in maritime travel 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 – these are experiences I’ve lived. I’ve crossed oceans on traditional boats. I’ve felt overwhelming happiness while accomplishing this.”

Regional Collaboration

Tikoure sailed with the team of the Uto ni Yalo, the heritage craft that traveled to Tonga for the Pacific Islands Forum in 2024.

“Throughout the region, including our location, it’s the same movement,” he states. “We’re taking back the ocean collectively.”

Political Engagement

In July, Tikoure journeyed to Nice, France to introduce a “Traditional understanding of the marine environment” when he had discussions with Macron and additional officials.

Addressing official and international delegates, he argued for shared maritime governance based on Kanak custom and participation.

“You have to involve local populations – especially fishing communities.”

Contemporary Evolution

Now, when mariners from various island nations – from the Fijian islands, Micronesia and New Zealand – visit Lifou, they study canoes collectively, modify the design and ultimately navigate in unison.

“We don’t just copy the old models, we help them develop.”

Holistic Approach

For Tikoure, teaching navigation and advocating environmental policy are interrelated.

“It’s all about how we involve people: who is entitled to travel ocean waters, and who decides what happens there? The canoe is a way to initiate that discussion.”