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During the autumn month of October on the island of Lifou, a double-hulled canoe was launched into the lagoon – a simple gesture that signified a deeply symbolic moment.

It was the inaugural voyage of a heritage boat on Lifou in many decades, an occasion that united the island’s three chiefly clans in a uncommon display of togetherness.

Seafarer and campaigner Aile Tikoure was instrumental in the launch. For the previous eight-year period, he has spearheaded a program that aims to revive heritage canoe building in New Caledonia.

Numerous traditional boats have been built in an effort intended to reunite local Kanak populations with their oceanic traditions. Tikoure says the boats also promote the “start of conversation” around maritime entitlements and conservation measures.

Diplomatic Efforts

This past July, he travelled to France and met President Emmanuel Macron, advocating for maritime regulations created in consultation with and by local tribes that honor their connection to the ocean.

“Our ancestors always traveled by water. We forgot that knowledge for a period,” Tikoure explains. “Now we’re finding it again.”

Traditional vessels hold profound traditional importance in New Caledonia. They once represented travel, trade and tribal partnerships across islands, but those customs declined under colonisation and missionary influences.

Cultural Reclamation

The initiative started in 2016, when the New Caledonia cultural authorities was considering how to restore traditional canoe-building skills. Tikoure worked with the administration and after two years the boat building initiative – known as Kenu Waan project – was born.

“The biggest challenge wasn’t wood collection, it was persuading communities,” he says.

Initiative Accomplishments

The Kenu Waan project sought to revive traditional navigation techniques, train young builders and use vessel construction to strengthen cultural identity and inter-island cooperation.

So far, the organization has created a display, issued a volume and supported the building or renovation of approximately thirty vessels – from Goro to Ponerihouen.

Material Advantages

Unlike many other island territories where deforestation has diminished wood resources, New Caledonia still has proper lumber for constructing major boats.

“There, they often use marine plywood. In our location, we can still carve solid logs,” he says. “That represents a crucial distinction.”

The boats built under the Kenu Waan Project merge Polynesian hull design with Melanesian rigging.

Teaching Development

Beginning this year, Tikoure has also been educating students in maritime travel and traditional construction history at the local university.

“For the first time ever these subjects are taught at master’s level. This isn’t academic – it’s something I’ve personally undertaken. I’ve crossed oceans on these canoes. I’ve experienced profound emotion while accomplishing this.”

Island Cooperation

Tikoure sailed with the team of the Fijian vessel, the Fijian canoe that traveled to Tonga for the regional gathering in 2024.

“From Hawaii to Rapa Nui, through various islands, we’re part of a collective initiative,” he says. “We’re taking back the ocean collectively.”

Political Engagement

This past July, Tikoure visited the French city to share a “Kanak vision of the marine environment” when he had discussions with Macron and additional officials.

Addressing official and overseas representatives, he argued for shared maritime governance based on local practices and local engagement.

“We must engage local populations – particularly those who live from fishing.”

Modern Adaptation

Now, when navigators from various island nations – from Fiji, the Micronesian region and Aotearoa – arrive in Lifou, they study canoes in cooperation, refine the construction and finally navigate in unison.

“We don’t just copy the old models, we enable their progression.”

Integrated Mission

In his view, educating sailors and supporting ecological regulations are linked.

“The core concept concerns public engagement: who is entitled to travel ocean waters, and who determines what happens in these waters? The canoe is a way to start that conversation.”