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During the autumn month of October on the island of Lifou, a traditional twin-hulled vessel was launched into the turquoise waters – a simple gesture that represented a deeply symbolic moment.

It was the inaugural voyage of a heritage boat on Lifou in living memory, an event that brought together the island’s primary tribal groups in a rare show of unity.

Mariner and advocate Aile Tikoure was instrumental in the launch. For the previous eight-year period, he has led a project that works to resurrect traditional boat making in New Caledonia.

Many heritage vessels have been crafted in an effort designed to reconnect local Kanak populations with their oceanic traditions. Tikoure explains the boats also facilitate the “beginning of dialogue” around maritime entitlements and ecological regulations.

Diplomatic Efforts

In July, he travelled to France and conferred with President Emmanuel Macron, calling for ocean governance created in consultation with and by Indigenous communities that recognise their maritime heritage.

“Our ancestors always navigated the ocean. We lost that for a while,” Tikoure states. “Now we’re finding it again.”

Heritage boats hold significant historical importance in New Caledonia. They once represented movement, trade and tribal partnerships across islands, but those traditions faded under colonisation and outside cultural pressures.

Tradition Revival

His journey started in 2016, when the New Caledonia government’s culture department was considering how to restore traditional canoe-building skills. Tikoure collaborated with the administration and two years later the canoe construction project – known as the Kenu Waan initiative – was launched.

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

Initiative Accomplishments

The program worked to bring back traditional navigation techniques, mentor apprentice constructors and use vessel construction to enhance traditional heritage and regional collaboration.

So far, the group has organized a showcase, issued a volume and facilitated the creation or repair of around 30 canoes – from Goro to Ponerihouen.

Natural Resources

Different from many other Pacific islands where forest clearing has reduced lumber availability, New Caledonia still has proper lumber for constructing major boats.

“In other places, they often work with modern composites. In our location, we can still work with whole trees,” he says. “That represents a significant advantage.”

The boats built under the initiative combine traditional boat forms with regional navigation methods.

Educational Expansion

Since 2024, Tikoure has also been instructing navigation and heritage building techniques at the University of New Caledonia.

“It’s the first time this knowledge are included at master’s level. It’s not theory – these are experiences I’ve lived. I’ve crossed oceans on traditional boats. I’ve experienced profound emotion doing it.”

Pacific Partnerships

He voyaged with the members of the Fijian vessel, the Fijian canoe that journeyed to Tonga for the Pacific Islands Forum in 2024.

“From Hawaii to Rapa Nui, through various islands, it’s the same movement,” he says. “We’re taking back the sea collectively.”

Policy Advocacy

In July, Tikoure visited the French city to present a “Traditional understanding of the sea” when he had discussions with Macron and additional officials.

Addressing official and foreign officials, he advocated for cooperative sea policies based on Kanak custom and community involvement.

“We must engage these communities – especially people dependent on marine resources.”

Contemporary Evolution

Currently, when mariners from across the Pacific – from the Fijian islands, the Micronesian region and New Zealand – visit Lifou, they examine vessels in cooperation, refine the construction and ultimately sail side by side.

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

Holistic Approach

For Tikoure, instructing mariners and supporting ecological regulations are linked.

“The core concept concerns community participation: who has the right to move across the sea, and who decides which activities take place on it? Traditional vessels serve as a method to begin that dialogue.”