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

It was the first launch of a ancestral vessel on Lifou in living memory, an gathering that assembled the island’s main family lineages in a uncommon display of togetherness.

Mariner and advocate Aile Tikoure was instrumental in the launch. For the past eight years, he has led a program that aims to revive ancestral vessel construction in New Caledonia.

Dozens of canoes have been built in an effort intended to reunite native Kanak communities with their maritime heritage. Tikoure says the boats also facilitate the “start of conversation” around sea access rights and environmental policies.

International Advocacy

In July, he visited France and had discussions with President Emmanuel Macron, pushing for ocean governance created in consultation with and by Indigenous communities that recognise their connection to the ocean.

“Forefathers always traveled by water. We abandoned that practice for a period,” Tikoure states. “Today we’re reclaiming it again.”

Heritage boats hold deep cultural significance in New Caledonia. They once stood for movement, trade and clan alliances across islands, but those traditions diminished under foreign occupation and outside cultural pressures.

Cultural Reclamation

His journey started in 2016, when the New Caledonia heritage ministry was looking at how to reintroduce heritage vessel construction methods. Tikoure worked with the government and after two years the boat building initiative – known as the Kenu Waan initiative – was established.

“The biggest challenge was not cutting down trees, it was convincing people,” he explains.

Program Successes

The Kenu Waan project sought to revive heritage voyaging practices, educate new craftspeople and use boat-building to reinforce community pride and regional collaboration.

Up to now, the team has produced an exhibition, released a publication and facilitated the creation or repair of approximately thirty vessels – from the southern region to the northeastern coast.

Natural Resources

In contrast to many other island territories where forest clearing has limited timber supplies, New Caledonia still has suitable wood for crafting substantial vessels.

“There, they often work with modern composites. Locally, we can still work with whole trees,” he says. “It makes all the difference.”

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

Academic Integration

Beginning this year, Tikoure has also been instructing seafaring and ancestral craft methods at the educational institution.

“It’s the first time these topics are taught at master’s level. This isn’t academic – it’s something I’ve experienced. I’ve sailed vast distances on these canoes. I’ve felt overwhelming happiness doing it.”

Regional Collaboration

He voyaged with the crew of the Fijian vessel, the Fijian canoe that sailed to Tonga for the oceanic conference in 2024.

“Throughout the region, through various islands, this represents a unified effort,” he says. “We’re restoring the ocean together.”

Governance Efforts

In July, Tikoure journeyed to Nice, France to share a “Indigenous perspective of the sea” when he conferred with Macron and additional officials.

Addressing official and international delegates, he argued for collaborative ocean management based on Indigenous traditions and local engagement.

“It’s essential to include local populations – especially those who live from fishing.”

Current Development

Currently, when sailors from across the Pacific – from Fiji, Micronesia and New Zealand – come to Lifou, they analyze boats collectively, adjust the structure and eventually navigate in unison.

“It’s not about duplicating the traditional forms, we help them develop.”

Comprehensive Vision

In his view, instructing mariners and advocating environmental policy are linked.

“It’s all about community participation: what permissions exist to move across the sea, and what authority governs what occurs in these waters? Heritage boats serve as a method to begin that dialogue.”