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This past October on the island of Lifou, a traditional twin-hulled vessel was launched into the turquoise waters – a seemingly minor event that represented a deeply symbolic moment.

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

Activist and sailor Aile Tikoure was the driving force behind the launch. For the previous eight-year period, he has spearheaded a program that seeks to restore ancestral vessel construction in New Caledonia.

Numerous traditional boats have been crafted in an project intended to reunite local Kanak populations with their maritime heritage. Tikoure explains the boats also facilitate the “beginning of dialogue” around sea access rights and conservation measures.

Diplomatic Efforts

This past July, he visited France and met President Emmanuel Macron, pushing for marine policies shaped with and by native populations that honor their maritime heritage.

“Previous generations always crossed the sea. We forgot that knowledge for a while,” Tikoure says. “Today we’re reclaiming it again.”

Traditional vessels hold profound traditional meaning in New Caledonia. They once stood for travel, exchange and family cooperations across islands, but those customs diminished under colonial rule and outside cultural pressures.

Tradition Revival

This mission commenced in 2016, when the New Caledonia government’s culture department was looking at how to bring back ancestral boat-making techniques. Tikoure collaborated with the authorities and two years later the canoe construction project – known as Project Kenu Waan – was born.

“The biggest challenge was not harvesting timber, it was persuading communities,” he notes.

Project Achievements

The program aimed to restore ancestral sailing methods, educate new craftspeople and use boat-building to reinforce traditional heritage and regional collaboration.

Up to now, the group has organized a showcase, released a publication and facilitated the creation or repair of approximately thirty vessels – from Goro to the northern shoreline.

Material Advantages

Different from many other Pacific islands where deforestation has reduced lumber availability, New Caledonia still has suitable wood for constructing major boats.

“In other places, they often employ synthetic materials. In our location, we can still craft from natural timber,” he explains. “That represents a crucial distinction.”

The canoes constructed under the initiative combine oceanic vessel shapes with regional navigation methods.

Teaching Development

Beginning this year, Tikoure has also been educating students in seafaring and traditional construction history at the educational institution.

“It’s the first time these topics are offered at advanced education. It goes beyond textbooks – this is knowledge I’ve experienced. I’ve crossed oceans on these canoes. I’ve experienced profound emotion during these journeys.”

Regional Collaboration

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

“From Hawaii to Rapa Nui, from Fiji to here, it’s the same movement,” he explains. “We’re taking back the ocean collectively.”

Governance Efforts

In July, Tikoure travelled to the French city to introduce a “Kanak vision of the sea” when he conferred with Macron and other leaders.

Before state and foreign officials, he pushed for cooperative sea policies based on local practices and local engagement.

“You have to involve local populations – most importantly those who live from fishing.”

Modern Adaptation

Currently, when sailors from various island nations – from Fiji, Micronesia and Aotearoa – come to Lifou, they analyze boats together, modify the design and ultimately sail side by side.

“It’s not about duplicating the ancient designs, we help them develop.”

Holistic Approach

In his view, teaching navigation and supporting ecological regulations are linked.

“The fundamental issue involves how we involve people: who is entitled to navigate marine territories, and what authority governs which activities take place in these waters? Heritage boats serve as a method to start that conversation.”