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In October on Lifou island, a traditional twin-hulled vessel was launched into the coastal lagoon – a simple gesture that marked a highly meaningful moment.

It was the inaugural voyage of a ancestral vessel on Lifou in generations, an gathering that united the island’s three chiefly clans in a rare show of unity.

Seafarer and campaigner Aile Tikoure was instrumental in the launch. For the previous eight-year period, he has spearheaded a initiative that works to resurrect ancestral vessel construction in New Caledonia.

Many heritage vessels have been crafted in an effort intended to reunite Indigenous Kanak people with their seafaring legacy. Tikoure explains the boats also promote the “start of conversation” around maritime entitlements and conservation measures.

International Advocacy

During the summer month of July, he journeyed to France and met President Emmanuel Macron, advocating for ocean governance shaped with and by local tribes that honor their connection to the ocean.

“Forefathers always crossed the sea. We lost that for a while,” Tikoure states. “Currently we’re rediscovering it again.”

Heritage boats hold significant historical significance in New Caledonia. They once stood for movement, interaction and family cooperations across islands, but those traditions faded under colonial rule and outside cultural pressures.

Cultural Reclamation

His journey started in 2016, when the New Caledonia cultural authorities was exploring how to restore traditional canoe-building skills. Tikoure worked with the government and following a two-year period the vessel restoration program – known as the Kenu Waan initiative – was launched.

“The hardest part was not wood collection, it was gaining local support,” he explains.

Project Achievements

The Kenu Waan project worked to bring back traditional navigation techniques, educate new craftspeople and use canoe-making to enhance traditional heritage and regional collaboration.

So far, the group has organized a showcase, released a publication and enabled the building or renovation of around 30 canoes – from the far south to Ponerihouen.

Material Advantages

In contrast to many other oceanic nations where tree loss has diminished lumber availability, New Caledonia still has proper lumber for carving large hulls.

“There, they often employ modern composites. Here, we can still carve solid logs,” he says. “It makes all the difference.”

The canoes built under the program integrate Polynesian hull design with local sailing systems.

Academic Integration

Starting recently, Tikoure has also been instructing navigation and heritage building techniques at the University of New Caledonia.

“For the first time ever these subjects are offered at graduate studies. This isn’t academic – this is knowledge I’ve experienced. I’ve crossed oceans on traditional boats. I’ve cried tears of joy while accomplishing this.”

Regional Collaboration

Tikoure sailed with the team of the traditional boat, the Fijian canoe that traveled to Tonga for the oceanic conference in 2024.

“Throughout the region, from Fiji to here, we’re part of a collective initiative,” he states. “We’re reclaiming the sea as a community.”

Policy Advocacy

This past July, Tikoure journeyed to the European location to share a “Indigenous perspective of the marine environment” when he conferred with Macron and additional officials.

In front of government and international delegates, he advocated for cooperative sea policies based on local practices and community involvement.

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

Modern Adaptation

Now, when navigators from various island nations – from the Fijian islands, the Micronesian region and New Zealand – visit Lifou, they analyze boats collectively, refine the construction and finally sail side by side.

“We don’t just copy the traditional forms, we enable their progression.”

Comprehensive Vision

According to Tikoure, educating sailors and promoting conservation measures are connected.

“The fundamental issue involves how we involve people: who is entitled to navigate marine territories, and what authority governs what occurs on it? Traditional vessels function as a means to begin that dialogue.”