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In October on the island of Lifou, a traditional twin-hulled vessel was set afloat in the coastal lagoon – a small act that represented a deeply symbolic moment.

It was the inaugural voyage of a ancestral vessel on Lifou in living memory, an event that brought together the island’s primary tribal groups in a exceptional demonstration of solidarity.

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

Numerous traditional boats have been crafted in an initiative intended to reunite Indigenous Kanak people with their maritime heritage. Tikoure explains the boats also facilitate the “beginning of dialogue” around maritime entitlements and conservation measures.

Global Outreach

This past July, he journeyed to France and had discussions with President Emmanuel Macron, calling for maritime regulations shaped with and by Indigenous communities that acknowledge their maritime heritage.

“Previous generations always navigated the ocean. We lost that for a while,” Tikoure says. “Today we’re reclaiming it again.”

Traditional vessels hold deep cultural meaning in New Caledonia. They once represented movement, interaction and clan alliances across islands, but those practices diminished under colonial rule and outside cultural pressures.

Heritage Restoration

His journey commenced in 2016, when the New Caledonia heritage ministry was considering how to bring back traditional canoe-building skills. Tikoure worked with the administration and two years later the vessel restoration program – known as the Kenu Waan initiative – was launched.

“The most difficult aspect wasn’t cutting down trees, it was persuading communities,” he notes.

Initiative Accomplishments

The Kenu Waan project sought to revive ancestral sailing methods, educate new craftspeople and use vessel construction to strengthen traditional heritage and regional collaboration.

So far, the organization has produced an exhibition, issued a volume and supported the creation or repair of nearly three dozen boats – from the southern region to the northern shoreline.

Natural Resources

In contrast to many other Pacific islands where forest clearing has reduced timber supplies, New Caledonia still has suitable wood for carving large hulls.

“In other places, they often use synthetic materials. In our location, we can still work with whole trees,” he explains. “It makes a crucial distinction.”

The boats built under the Kenu Waan Project integrate Polynesian hull design with regional navigation methods.

Educational Expansion

Beginning this year, Tikoure has also been teaching navigation and traditional construction history at the University of New Caledonia.

“For the first time ever this knowledge are offered at master’s level. It goes beyond textbooks – these are experiences I’ve lived. I’ve crossed oceans on these canoes. I’ve experienced profound emotion doing it.”

Island Cooperation

He traveled with the team of the Fijian vessel, the Pacific vessel that traveled 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 taking back the maritime heritage collectively.”

Policy Advocacy

This past July, Tikoure visited the European location to present a “Traditional understanding of the sea” when he conferred with Macron and additional officials.

Addressing official and foreign officials, he pushed for shared maritime governance based on local practices and community involvement.

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

Current Development

Currently, when navigators from various island nations – from the Fijian islands, the Micronesian region and Aotearoa – visit Lifou, they study canoes together, adjust the structure and eventually navigate in unison.

“It’s not about duplicating the old models, we help them develop.”

Holistic Approach

For Tikoure, instructing mariners and advocating environmental policy are connected.

“The fundamental issue involves public engagement: who has the right to travel ocean waters, and who determines which activities take place there? Heritage boats function as a means to begin that dialogue.”