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During the autumn month of October on the island of Lifou, a ancient-style canoe was set afloat in the coastal lagoon – a small act that represented a profoundly important moment.

It was the inaugural voyage of a heritage boat on Lifou in many decades, an gathering that brought together the island’s three chiefly clans in a exceptional demonstration of solidarity.

Activist and sailor Aile Tikoure was the driving force behind the launch. For the last eight years, he has spearheaded a project that seeks to restore ancestral vessel construction in New Caledonia.

Many heritage vessels have been constructed in an effort intended to reunite native Kanak communities with their seafaring legacy. Tikoure states the boats also help the “start of conversation” around ocean rights and environmental policies.

Global Outreach

In July, he journeyed to France and met President Emmanuel Macron, advocating for maritime regulations developed alongside and by Indigenous communities that honor their connection to the ocean.

“Previous generations always traveled by water. We abandoned that practice for a time,” Tikoure says. “Today we’re reclaiming it again.”

Heritage boats hold significant historical significance in New Caledonia. They once represented movement, trade and clan alliances across islands, but those traditions declined under colonial rule and outside cultural pressures.

Heritage Restoration

The initiative began in 2016, when the New Caledonia government’s culture department was looking at how to bring back traditional canoe-building skills. Tikoure collaborated with the government and after two years the canoe construction project – known as the Kenu Waan initiative – was launched.

“The most difficult aspect didn’t involve wood collection, it was gaining local support,” he explains.

Program Successes

The Kenu Waan project aimed to restore ancestral sailing methods, mentor apprentice constructors and use vessel construction to reinforce traditional heritage and island partnerships.

Up to now, the group has produced an exhibition, issued a volume and supported the building or renovation of around 30 canoes – from the far south to Ponerihouen.

Natural Resources

Unlike many other oceanic nations where forest clearing has limited wood resources, New Caledonia still has appropriate timber for carving large hulls.

“There, they often work with synthetic materials. Locally, we can still craft from natural timber,” he explains. “That represents a crucial distinction.”

The boats built under the Kenu Waan Project merge Polynesian hull design with local sailing systems.

Academic Integration

Starting recently, Tikoure has also been teaching seafaring and traditional construction history at the University of New Caledonia.

“This marks the initial occasion these topics are offered at master’s level. It’s not theory – these are experiences I’ve experienced. I’ve navigated major waters on these vessels. I’ve experienced profound emotion during these journeys.”

Pacific Partnerships

He voyaged with the members of the Uto ni Yalo, the heritage craft 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 explains. “We’re reclaiming the sea as a community.”

Governance Efforts

In July, Tikoure journeyed to Nice, France to share a “Kanak vision of the ocean” when he met with Macron and government representatives.

In front of government and overseas representatives, he advocated for cooperative sea policies based on Indigenous traditions and local engagement.

“You have to involve these communities – especially people dependent on marine resources.”

Contemporary Evolution

Today, when sailors from across the Pacific – from Fiji, the Micronesian region and New Zealand – visit Lifou, they analyze boats in cooperation, refine the construction and finally voyage together.

“It’s not about duplicating the old models, we make them evolve.”

Integrated Mission

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

“It’s all about public engagement: who has the right to navigate marine territories, and who determines what happens on it? Heritage boats is a way to begin that dialogue.”