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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 marked a deeply symbolic moment.

It was the first launch of a ancestral vessel on Lifou in living memory, an gathering that brought together the island’s primary tribal groups in a uncommon display of togetherness.

Mariner and advocate Aile Tikoure was behind the launch. For the previous eight-year period, he has led a initiative that works to resurrect ancestral vessel construction in New Caledonia.

Numerous traditional boats have been constructed in an initiative aimed at reconnecting native Kanak communities with their seafaring legacy. Tikoure states the boats also promote the “start of conversation” around ocean rights and environmental policies.

International Advocacy

During the summer month of July, he visited France and met President Emmanuel Macron, pushing for ocean governance shaped with and by native populations that honor their relationship with the sea.

“Previous generations always navigated the ocean. We lost that for a time,” Tikoure states. “Now we’re finding it again.”

Heritage boats hold deep cultural significance in New Caledonia. They once stood for mobility, trade and clan alliances across islands, but those practices faded under colonial rule and outside cultural pressures.

Heritage Restoration

The initiative started in 2016, when the New Caledonia heritage ministry was looking at how to restore traditional canoe-building skills. Tikoure worked with the authorities and following a two-year period the vessel restoration program – known as the Kenu Waan initiative – was launched.

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

Program Successes

The Kenu Waan project aimed to restore traditional navigation techniques, educate new craftspeople and use boat-building to enhance community pride and inter-island cooperation.

Up to now, the organization has produced an exhibition, released a publication and facilitated the creation or repair of around 30 canoes – from Goro to the northern shoreline.

Material Advantages

Unlike many other Pacific islands where forest clearing has reduced wood resources, New Caledonia still has appropriate timber for crafting substantial vessels.

“In other places, they often employ marine plywood. In our location, we can still carve solid logs,” he explains. “This creates a crucial distinction.”

The vessels constructed under the Kenu Waan Project integrate Polynesian hull design with Melanesian rigging.

Educational Expansion

Beginning this year, Tikoure has also been educating students in seafaring and ancestral craft methods at the educational institution.

“This marks the initial occasion these subjects are offered at graduate studies. It’s not theory – these are experiences I’ve lived. I’ve crossed oceans on these vessels. I’ve felt overwhelming happiness while accomplishing this.”

Pacific Partnerships

He traveled with the crew of the traditional boat, the Fijian canoe that journeyed to Tonga for the regional gathering in 2024.

“Across the Pacific, through various islands, we’re part of a collective initiative,” he explains. “We’re restoring the ocean as a community.”

Policy Advocacy

This past July, Tikoure visited the European location to present a “Indigenous perspective of the ocean” when he met with Macron and government representatives.

In front of government and overseas representatives, he advocated for collaborative ocean management based on local practices and local engagement.

“It’s essential to include these communities – particularly fishing communities.”

Contemporary Evolution

Currently, when navigators from across the Pacific – from Fiji, Micronesia and New Zealand – visit Lifou, they analyze boats together, refine the construction and ultimately voyage together.

“We don’t just copy the ancient designs, we help them develop.”

Comprehensive Vision

According to Tikoure, educating sailors and advocating environmental policy are interrelated.

“It’s all about public engagement: what permissions exist to navigate marine territories, and who decides which activities take place in these waters? Traditional vessels is a way to initiate that discussion.”