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During the autumn month of October on Lifou island, a traditional twin-hulled vessel was set afloat in the turquoise waters – a small act that signified a deeply symbolic moment.

It was the first launch of a heritage boat on Lifou in generations, an occasion that united the island’s main family lineages in a exceptional demonstration of solidarity.

Seafarer and campaigner Aile Tikoure was instrumental in the launch. For the past eight years, he has overseen a initiative that seeks to restore heritage canoe building in New Caledonia.

Dozens of canoes have been crafted in an initiative intended to reunite local Kanak populations with their oceanic traditions. Tikoure states the boats also promote the “start of conversation” around maritime entitlements and ecological regulations.

Diplomatic Efforts

In July, he journeyed to France and met President Emmanuel Macron, calling for marine policies developed alongside and by local tribes that recognise their relationship with the sea.

“Our ancestors always crossed the sea. We lost that for a period,” Tikoure explains. “Today we’re reclaiming it again.”

Traditional vessels hold significant historical significance in New Caledonia. They once represented mobility, exchange and tribal partnerships across islands, but those practices diminished under colonial rule and outside cultural pressures.

Heritage Restoration

The initiative began in 2016, when the New Caledonia heritage ministry was exploring how to bring back ancestral boat-making techniques. Tikoure worked with the administration and two years later the boat building initiative – known as Project Kenu Waan – was born.

“The most difficult aspect was not cutting down trees, it was gaining local support,” he notes.

Project Achievements

The initiative worked to bring back heritage voyaging practices, educate new craftspeople and use vessel construction to enhance cultural identity and regional collaboration.

So far, the group has organized a showcase, published a book and enabled the construction or restoration of around 30 canoes – from the southern region to the northeastern coast.

Material Advantages

Unlike many other oceanic nations where deforestation has limited wood resources, New Caledonia still has appropriate timber for crafting substantial vessels.

“Elsewhere, they often use marine plywood. Here, we can still craft from natural timber,” he says. “It makes a crucial distinction.”

The vessels created under the initiative combine Polynesian hull design with local sailing systems.

Teaching Development

Beginning this year, Tikoure has also been teaching maritime travel and heritage building techniques at the local university.

“It’s the first time this knowledge are offered at graduate studies. This isn’t academic – these are experiences I’ve personally undertaken. I’ve sailed vast distances on these canoes. I’ve felt overwhelming happiness during these journeys.”

Regional Collaboration

He traveled with the team of the Fijian vessel, the Pacific vessel that journeyed to Tonga for the oceanic conference in 2024.

“Throughout the region, through various islands, it’s the same movement,” he states. “We’re restoring the ocean together.”

Governance Efforts

During the summer, Tikoure visited Nice, France to share a “Kanak vision of the marine environment” when he conferred with Macron and government representatives.

In front of government and international delegates, he advocated for shared maritime governance based on local practices and local engagement.

“You have to involve local populations – particularly people dependent on marine resources.”

Contemporary Evolution

Currently, when navigators from throughout the region – from the Fijian islands, Micronesia and Aotearoa – visit Lifou, they study canoes collectively, refine the construction and ultimately sail side by side.

“We don’t just copy the traditional forms, we help them develop.”

Holistic Approach

For Tikoure, instructing mariners and supporting ecological regulations are linked.

“It’s all about public engagement: who has the right to navigate marine territories, and who decides what occurs on it? Traditional vessels serve as a method to start that conversation.”