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During the autumn month of October on Lifou, a double-hulled canoe was set afloat in the turquoise waters – a simple gesture that marked a deeply symbolic moment.

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

Mariner and advocate Aile Tikoure was behind the launch. For the past eight years, he has led a program that aims to revive heritage canoe building in New Caledonia.

Many heritage vessels have been crafted in an effort aimed at reconnecting local Kanak populations with their oceanic traditions. Tikoure states the boats also promote the “start of conversation” around sea access rights and ecological regulations.

Global Outreach

During the summer month of July, he journeyed to France and had discussions with President Emmanuel Macron, advocating for maritime regulations developed alongside and by local tribes that honor their relationship with the sea.

“Forefathers always traveled by water. We lost that for a period,” Tikoure says. “Now we’re finding it again.”

Canoes hold profound traditional importance in New Caledonia. They once represented travel, exchange and family cooperations across islands, but those customs diminished under colonisation and outside cultural pressures.

Heritage Restoration

The initiative began in 2016, when the New Caledonia heritage ministry was looking at how to restore ancestral boat-making techniques. Tikoure worked with the authorities and two years later the vessel restoration program – known as Project Kenu Waan – was launched.

“The biggest challenge didn’t involve cutting down trees, it was persuading communities,” he notes.

Program Successes

The Kenu Waan project sought to revive traditional navigation techniques, train young builders and use vessel construction to enhance community pride and regional collaboration.

So far, the group has organized a showcase, released a publication and enabled the construction or restoration of approximately thirty vessels – from the far south to the northern shoreline.

Material Advantages

In contrast to many other island territories where tree loss has diminished wood resources, New Caledonia still has proper lumber for carving large hulls.

“Elsewhere, they often use marine plywood. In our location, we can still work with whole trees,” he explains. “That represents a crucial distinction.”

The boats built under the Kenu Waan Project merge Polynesian hull design with local sailing systems.

Educational Expansion

Starting recently, Tikoure has also been educating students in maritime travel and ancestral craft methods at the educational institution.

“This marks the initial occasion this knowledge are offered at advanced education. It goes beyond textbooks – it’s something I’ve lived. I’ve sailed vast distances on these canoes. I’ve felt overwhelming happiness doing it.”

Island Cooperation

He traveled with the members of the Uto ni Yalo, the Fijian canoe that journeyed to Tonga for the regional gathering in 2024.

“Across the Pacific, including our location, we’re part of a collective initiative,” he says. “We’re restoring the sea as a community.”

Governance Efforts

During the summer, Tikoure travelled to Nice, France to introduce a “Indigenous perspective of the sea” when he had discussions with Macron and government representatives.

Addressing official and overseas representatives, he pushed for cooperative sea policies based on Indigenous traditions and community involvement.

“It’s essential to include them – most importantly those who live from fishing.”

Contemporary Evolution

Currently, when mariners from across the Pacific – from the Fijian islands, the Micronesian region and Aotearoa – arrive in Lifou, they analyze boats together, adjust the structure and eventually voyage together.

“We’re not simply replicating the old models, we enable their progression.”

Comprehensive Vision

In his view, teaching navigation and advocating environmental policy are interrelated.

“The core concept concerns how we involve people: who is entitled to travel ocean waters, and what authority governs what occurs on it? The canoe is a way to initiate that discussion.”