🔗 Share this article

In October on Lifou, a double-hulled canoe was launched into the coastal lagoon – a simple gesture that signified a profoundly important moment.

It was the first launch of a traditional canoe on Lifou in many decades, an occasion that brought together the island’s primary tribal groups in a exceptional demonstration of solidarity.

Activist and sailor Aile Tikoure was the driving force behind the launch. For the last eight years, he has spearheaded a program that aims to revive ancestral vessel construction in New Caledonia.

Numerous traditional boats have been crafted in an effort aimed at reconnecting native Kanak communities with their oceanic traditions. Tikoure states the boats also help the “beginning of dialogue” around maritime entitlements and environmental policies.

Global Outreach

In July, he journeyed to France and had discussions with President Emmanuel Macron, pushing for marine policies developed alongside and by Indigenous communities that honor their connection to the ocean.

“Previous generations always traveled by water. We lost that for a while,” Tikoure explains. “Today we’re reclaiming it again.”

Canoes hold deep cultural meaning in New Caledonia. They once symbolised mobility, trade and family cooperations across islands, but those customs faded under foreign occupation and outside cultural pressures.

Tradition Revival

This mission began in 2016, when the New Caledonia heritage ministry was considering how to bring back heritage vessel construction methods. Tikoure worked with the administration and two years later the vessel restoration program – known as Project Kenu Waan – was born.

“The hardest part wasn’t wood collection, it was persuading communities,” he explains.

Project Achievements

The program worked to bring back heritage voyaging practices, train young builders and use vessel construction to strengthen cultural identity and inter-island cooperation.

To date, the team has created a display, released a publication and supported the building or renovation of around 30 canoes – from the southern region to the northern shoreline.

Natural Resources

Unlike many other Pacific islands where deforestation has reduced wood resources, New Caledonia still has suitable wood for crafting substantial vessels.

“In other places, they often employ modern composites. In our location, we can still work with whole trees,” he states. “This creates a crucial distinction.”

The vessels constructed under the initiative combine traditional boat forms with Melanesian rigging.

Educational Expansion

Beginning this year, Tikoure has also been educating students in maritime travel and traditional construction history at the University of New Caledonia.

“This marks the initial occasion these subjects are taught at graduate studies. It goes beyond textbooks – these are experiences I’ve personally undertaken. I’ve crossed oceans on these vessels. I’ve felt overwhelming happiness during these journeys.”

Regional Collaboration

He traveled with the crew of the Fijian vessel, the Pacific vessel that sailed to Tonga for the regional gathering in 2024.

“Across the Pacific, through various islands, we’re part of a collective initiative,” he states. “We’re taking back the maritime heritage together.”

Political Engagement

During the summer, Tikoure visited the European location to share a “Traditional understanding of the sea” when he had discussions with Macron and additional officials.

Before state and overseas representatives, he advocated for shared maritime governance based on Indigenous traditions and community involvement.

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

Current Development

Now, when sailors from across the Pacific – from the Fijian islands, the Micronesian region and Aotearoa – arrive in Lifou, they analyze boats in cooperation, adjust the structure and finally navigate in unison.

“We’re not simply replicating the traditional forms, we help them develop.”

Holistic Approach

For Tikoure, educating sailors and promoting conservation measures are linked.

“It’s all about public engagement: who has the right to navigate marine territories, and who determines what happens on it? Traditional vessels serve as a method to start that conversation.”