In October on the island of Lifou, a double-hulled canoe was set afloat in the turquoise waters – a seemingly minor event that signified a deeply symbolic moment.
It was the first launch of a heritage boat on Lifou in living memory, an gathering 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 last eight years, he has spearheaded a program that seeks to restore heritage canoe building in New Caledonia.
Many heritage vessels have been constructed in an initiative aimed at reconnecting local Kanak populations with their seafaring legacy. Tikoure states the boats also promote the “start of conversation” around sea access rights and ecological regulations.
International Advocacy
During the summer month of July, he journeyed to France and had discussions with President Emmanuel Macron, pushing for ocean governance shaped with and by Indigenous communities that recognise their connection to the ocean.
“Forefathers always navigated the ocean. We forgot that knowledge for a time,” Tikoure states. “Today we’re reclaiming it again.”
Traditional vessels hold profound traditional significance in New Caledonia. They once symbolised mobility, exchange and family cooperations across islands, but those traditions declined under foreign occupation and missionary influences.
Heritage Restoration
The initiative commenced in 2016, when the New Caledonia heritage ministry was exploring how to bring back heritage vessel construction methods. Tikoure worked with the government and following a two-year period the canoe construction project – known as the Kenu Waan initiative – was launched.
“The hardest part was not harvesting timber, it was convincing people,” he explains.
Program Successes
The program aimed to restore heritage voyaging practices, mentor apprentice constructors and use canoe-making to enhance cultural identity and inter-island cooperation.
Up to now, the team has created a display, released a publication and supported the building or renovation of approximately thirty vessels – from the far south to Ponerihouen.
Resource Benefits
Unlike many other island territories where forest clearing has diminished timber supplies, New Caledonia still has suitable wood for constructing major boats.
“In other places, they often use marine plywood. In our location, we can still work with whole trees,” he says. “This creates all the difference.”
The boats constructed under the initiative merge Polynesian hull design with regional navigation methods.
Teaching Development
Since 2024, Tikoure has also been instructing maritime travel and ancestral craft methods at the University of New Caledonia.
“It’s the first time these topics are taught at master’s level. It’s not theory – it’s something I’ve lived. I’ve sailed vast distances on these vessels. I’ve felt overwhelming happiness while accomplishing this.”
Pacific Partnerships
He voyaged with the members of the Fijian vessel, the Fijian canoe that sailed to Tonga for the regional gathering in 2024.
“Throughout the region, including our location, it’s the same movement,” he states. “We’re taking back the ocean together.”
Political Engagement
In July, Tikoure travelled to the French city to present a “Kanak vision of the sea” when he conferred with Macron and government representatives.
In front of government and international delegates, he advocated for cooperative sea policies based on local practices and participation.
“It’s essential to include local populations – particularly people dependent on marine resources.”
Current Development
Now, when sailors from various island nations – from Fiji, Micronesia and Aotearoa – visit Lifou, they study canoes together, refine the construction and ultimately navigate in unison.
“We’re not simply replicating the old models, we enable their progression.”
Comprehensive Vision
In his view, educating sailors and supporting ecological regulations are connected.
“It’s all about community participation: who has the right to navigate marine territories, and who decides which activities take place in these waters? Heritage boats serve as a method to begin that dialogue.”
