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During the autumn month of October on Lifou island, a double-hulled canoe was set afloat in the coastal lagoon – a seemingly minor event that represented a deeply symbolic moment.

It was the inaugural voyage of a traditional canoe on Lifou in generations, an gathering that assembled the island’s primary tribal groups in a rare show of unity.

Mariner and advocate Aile Tikoure was behind the launch. For the last eight years, he has led a initiative that seeks to restore heritage canoe building in New Caledonia.

Many heritage vessels have been built in an project intended to reunite local Kanak populations with their maritime heritage. Tikoure says the boats also facilitate the “opening of discussions” around maritime entitlements and conservation measures.

Diplomatic Efforts

In July, he visited France and met President Emmanuel Macron, advocating for marine policies developed alongside and by local tribes that honor their relationship with the sea.

“Forefathers always traveled by water. We forgot that knowledge for a time,” Tikoure states. “Today we’re reclaiming it again.”

Canoes hold significant historical meaning in New Caledonia. They once represented mobility, interaction and clan alliances across islands, but those practices faded under colonial rule and outside cultural pressures.

Tradition Revival

The initiative commenced in 2016, when the New Caledonia cultural authorities was looking at how to restore traditional canoe-building skills. Tikoure collaborated with the administration and after two years the vessel restoration program – known as the Kenu Waan initiative – was born.

“The hardest part was not wood collection, it was convincing people,” he explains.

Project Achievements

The initiative aimed to restore ancestral sailing methods, train young builders and use boat-building to reinforce cultural identity and island partnerships.

So far, the organization has created a display, released a publication and enabled the construction or restoration of around 30 canoes – from Goro to the northern shoreline.

Natural Resources

Unlike many other Pacific islands where deforestation has reduced wood resources, New Caledonia still has proper lumber for carving large hulls.

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

The vessels created under the initiative merge Polynesian hull design with Melanesian rigging.

Academic Integration

Starting recently, Tikoure has also been teaching navigation and heritage building techniques at the local university.

“This marks the initial occasion these topics are taught at graduate studies. It goes beyond textbooks – these are experiences I’ve personally undertaken. I’ve crossed oceans on these vessels. I’ve cried tears of joy while accomplishing this.”

Island Cooperation

Tikoure sailed with the team of the Uto ni Yalo, the Fijian canoe that journeyed to Tonga for the regional gathering in 2024.

“From Hawaii to Rapa Nui, including our location, we’re part of a collective initiative,” he says. “We’re reclaiming the sea together.”

Political Engagement

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

Addressing official and international delegates, he pushed for shared maritime governance based on Kanak custom and community involvement.

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

Contemporary Evolution

Currently, when mariners from throughout the region – from Fiji, Micronesia and New Zealand – visit Lifou, they study canoes in cooperation, refine the construction and eventually sail side by side.

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

Holistic Approach

According to Tikoure, instructing mariners and promoting conservation measures are connected.

“The core concept concerns how we involve people: who has the right to move across the sea, and who decides which activities take place on it? The canoe serve as a method to begin that dialogue.”