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This past October on the island of Lifou, a ancient-style canoe was set afloat in the coastal lagoon – a small act that signified a profoundly important moment.

It was the maiden journey of a heritage boat on Lifou in living memory, an gathering that assembled the island’s three chiefly clans in a exceptional demonstration of solidarity.

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

Many heritage vessels have been built in an initiative aimed at reconnecting native Kanak communities with their seafaring legacy. Tikoure says the boats also promote the “start of conversation” around ocean rights and ecological regulations.

Diplomatic Efforts

In July, he visited France and met President Emmanuel Macron, calling for ocean governance created in consultation with and by local tribes that acknowledge their maritime heritage.

“Forefathers always crossed the sea. We abandoned that practice for a time,” Tikoure states. “Now we’re finding it again.”

Canoes hold profound traditional significance in New Caledonia. They once represented travel, interaction and family cooperations across islands, but those practices declined under colonisation and missionary influences.

Cultural Reclamation

The initiative began in 2016, when the New Caledonia heritage ministry was looking at how to reintroduce ancestral boat-making techniques. Tikoure partnered with the administration and following a two-year period the boat building initiative – known as Kenu Waan project – was launched.

“The hardest part didn’t involve wood collection, it was convincing people,” he notes.

Project Achievements

The initiative sought to revive traditional navigation techniques, educate new craftspeople and use boat-building to enhance cultural identity and inter-island cooperation.

To date, the group has organized a showcase, issued a volume and enabled the construction or restoration of approximately thirty vessels – from the far south to the northern shoreline.

Material Advantages

Different from many other island territories where forest clearing has diminished timber supplies, New Caledonia still has proper lumber for crafting substantial vessels.

“There, they often work with synthetic materials. In our location, we can still work with whole trees,” he explains. “That represents a significant advantage.”

The canoes created under the Kenu Waan Project combine Polynesian hull design with local sailing systems.

Academic Integration

Starting recently, Tikoure has also been instructing navigation and heritage building techniques at the educational institution.

“It’s the first time these topics are offered at master’s level. It goes beyond textbooks – it’s something I’ve personally undertaken. I’ve navigated major waters on these canoes. I’ve experienced profound emotion doing it.”

Regional Collaboration

Tikoure sailed with the team of the Fijian vessel, the heritage craft that sailed to Tonga for the oceanic conference in 2024.

“From Hawaii to Rapa Nui, from Fiji to here, this represents a unified effort,” he says. “We’re restoring the ocean collectively.”

Governance Efforts

In July, Tikoure travelled to the French city to present a “Kanak vision of the ocean” when he conferred with Macron and additional officials.

In front of government and international delegates, he pushed for cooperative sea policies based on Indigenous traditions and community involvement.

“It’s essential to include these communities – most importantly people dependent on marine resources.”

Contemporary Evolution

Now, when sailors from various island nations – from Fiji, the Micronesian region and New Zealand – come to Lifou, they analyze boats together, modify the design and finally navigate in unison.

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

Holistic Approach

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

“It’s all about public engagement: who is entitled to travel ocean waters, and what authority governs which activities take place in these waters? Heritage boats function as a means to begin that dialogue.”