🔗 Share this article

During the autumn month of October on the island of Lifou, a ancient-style canoe was set afloat in the turquoise waters – a seemingly minor event that marked a profoundly important moment.

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

Seafarer and campaigner Aile Tikoure was behind the launch. For the last eight years, he has led a program that works to resurrect ancestral vessel construction in New Caledonia.

Many heritage vessels have been crafted in an initiative designed to reconnect native Kanak communities with their maritime heritage. Tikoure says the boats also promote the “beginning of dialogue” around ocean rights and ecological regulations.

International Advocacy

In July, he travelled to France and met President Emmanuel Macron, advocating for marine policies shaped with and by Indigenous communities that acknowledge their connection to the ocean.

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

Canoes hold deep cultural meaning in New Caledonia. They once symbolised travel, trade and tribal partnerships across islands, but those customs diminished under colonisation and religious conversion efforts.

Cultural Reclamation

The initiative began in 2016, when the New Caledonia government’s culture department was considering how to reintroduce ancestral boat-making techniques. Tikoure worked with the administration and two years later the boat building initiative – known as Project Kenu Waan – was established.

“The biggest challenge wasn’t cutting down trees, it was gaining local support,” he says.

Project Achievements

The initiative sought to revive ancestral sailing methods, educate new craftspeople and use vessel construction to strengthen cultural identity and island partnerships.

Up to now, the organization has produced an exhibition, issued a volume and supported the creation or repair of nearly three dozen boats – from Goro to Ponerihouen.

Resource Benefits

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

“In other places, they often employ synthetic materials. Here, we can still work with whole trees,” he states. “This creates a crucial distinction.”

The boats created under the initiative merge oceanic vessel shapes with local sailing systems.

Teaching Development

Since 2024, Tikoure has also been educating students in seafaring and ancestral craft methods at the local university.

“For the first time ever these topics are included at advanced education. This isn’t academic – these are experiences I’ve personally undertaken. I’ve sailed vast distances on these vessels. I’ve felt overwhelming happiness while accomplishing this.”

Island Cooperation

Tikoure sailed with the crew of the Uto ni Yalo, the Pacific vessel that sailed to Tonga for the oceanic conference in 2024.

“Across the Pacific, from Fiji to here, we’re part of a collective initiative,” he explains. “We’re taking back the ocean collectively.”

Governance Efforts

This past July, Tikoure travelled to the European location to present a “Indigenous perspective of the marine environment” when he conferred with Macron and government representatives.

Addressing official and international delegates, he argued for cooperative sea policies based on Kanak custom and local engagement.

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

Contemporary Evolution

Now, when sailors from across the Pacific – from Fiji, the Micronesian region and New Zealand – visit Lifou, they analyze boats collectively, adjust the structure and ultimately navigate in unison.

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

Integrated Mission

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

“The fundamental issue involves community participation: who is entitled to move across the sea, and who determines what occurs on it? Heritage boats serve as a method to initiate that discussion.”