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During the autumn month of October on the island of Lifou, a traditional twin-hulled vessel was launched into the turquoise waters – a simple gesture that signified a deeply symbolic moment.

It was the first launch of a heritage boat on Lifou in generations, an gathering that brought together the island’s three chiefly clans in a uncommon display of togetherness.

Seafarer and campaigner Aile Tikoure was instrumental in the launch. For the previous eight-year period, he has led a project that aims to revive ancestral vessel construction in New Caledonia.

Numerous traditional boats have been crafted in an project designed to reconnect Indigenous Kanak people with their oceanic traditions. Tikoure states the boats also facilitate the “beginning of dialogue” around sea access rights and conservation measures.

Diplomatic Efforts

In July, he journeyed to France and conferred with President Emmanuel Macron, pushing for maritime regulations created in consultation with and by Indigenous communities that recognise their relationship with the sea.

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

Heritage boats hold significant historical meaning in New Caledonia. They once represented travel, interaction and clan alliances across islands, but those practices declined under colonisation and religious conversion efforts.

Heritage Restoration

The initiative began in 2016, when the New Caledonia heritage ministry was exploring how to reintroduce ancestral boat-making techniques. Tikoure partnered with the government and after two years the canoe construction project – known as the Kenu Waan initiative – was established.

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

Project Achievements

The initiative aimed to restore heritage voyaging practices, train young builders and use boat-building to enhance cultural identity and inter-island cooperation.

To date, the team has organized a showcase, released a publication and supported the building or renovation of around 30 canoes – from Goro to Ponerihouen.

Natural Resources

Different from many other Pacific islands where forest clearing has reduced lumber availability, New Caledonia still has appropriate timber for crafting substantial vessels.

“Elsewhere, they often work with modern composites. Here, we can still work with whole trees,” he says. “It makes a crucial distinction.”

The canoes built under the Kenu Waan Project combine oceanic vessel shapes with regional navigation methods.

Teaching Development

Beginning this year, Tikoure has also been instructing navigation and heritage building techniques at the University of New Caledonia.

“This marks the initial occasion these subjects are included at advanced education. It goes beyond textbooks – it’s something I’ve personally undertaken. I’ve crossed oceans on these canoes. I’ve cried tears of joy doing it.”

Island Cooperation

He voyaged with the team of the traditional boat, the Pacific vessel that traveled to Tonga for the regional gathering in 2024.

“Throughout the region, through various islands, we’re part of a collective initiative,” he says. “We’re reclaiming the ocean collectively.”

Political Engagement

This past July, Tikoure journeyed to the European location to present a “Traditional understanding of the ocean” when he conferred with Macron and other leaders.

Addressing official and international delegates, he pushed for collaborative ocean management based on local practices and community involvement.

“You have to involve these communities – most importantly those who live from fishing.”

Contemporary Evolution

Today, when navigators from across the Pacific – from the Fijian islands, Micronesia and New Zealand – come to Lifou, they examine vessels together, adjust the structure and finally sail side by side.

“It’s not about duplicating the old models, we help them develop.”

Comprehensive Vision

For Tikoure, educating sailors and supporting ecological regulations are interrelated.

“The core concept concerns public engagement: what permissions exist to navigate marine territories, and who decides which activities take place on it? Heritage boats function as a means to initiate that discussion.”