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In October on the island of Lifou, a double-hulled canoe was launched into the turquoise waters – a simple gesture that marked a profoundly important moment.

It was the inaugural voyage of a ancestral vessel on Lifou in generations, an event that brought together the island’s primary tribal groups in a rare show of unity.

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

Many heritage vessels have been crafted in an initiative aimed at reconnecting local Kanak populations with their oceanic traditions. Tikoure states the boats also facilitate the “start of conversation” around ocean rights and conservation measures.

International Advocacy

In July, he journeyed to France and had discussions with President Emmanuel Macron, pushing for ocean governance created in consultation with and by local tribes that honor their relationship with the sea.

“Our ancestors always navigated the ocean. We lost that for a time,” Tikoure says. “Today we’re reclaiming it again.”

Heritage boats hold deep cultural importance in New Caledonia. They once symbolised travel, interaction and clan alliances across islands, but those practices faded under colonial rule and outside cultural pressures.

Cultural Reclamation

The initiative began in 2016, when the New Caledonia government’s culture department was exploring how to bring back traditional canoe-building skills. Tikoure worked with the government and following a two-year period the boat building initiative – known as Kenu Waan project – was established.

“The most difficult aspect was not harvesting timber, it was persuading communities,” he explains.

Program Successes

The initiative aimed to restore ancestral sailing methods, educate new craftspeople and use canoe-making to strengthen community pride and regional collaboration.

Up to now, the group has created a display, issued a volume and enabled the building or renovation of around 30 canoes – from the southern region to Ponerihouen.

Material Advantages

Different from many other island territories where forest clearing has limited lumber availability, New Caledonia still has appropriate timber for carving large hulls.

“There, they often employ modern composites. Locally, we can still craft from natural timber,” he explains. “That represents all the difference.”

The canoes created under the program integrate Polynesian hull design with local sailing systems.

Teaching Development

Since 2024, Tikoure has also been instructing seafaring and traditional construction history at the University of New Caledonia.

“This marks the initial occasion these subjects are offered at master’s level. This isn’t academic – this is knowledge I’ve experienced. I’ve sailed vast distances on these canoes. I’ve felt overwhelming happiness while accomplishing this.”

Pacific Partnerships

Tikoure sailed with the crew of the Fijian vessel, the Pacific vessel that traveled to Tonga for the Pacific Islands Forum in 2024.

“Across the Pacific, from Fiji to here, we’re part of a collective initiative,” he explains. “We’re taking back the sea as a community.”

Policy Advocacy

During the summer, Tikoure visited the European location to share a “Indigenous perspective of the sea” when he had discussions with Macron and government representatives.

In front of government and foreign officials, he pushed for cooperative sea policies based on local practices and participation.

“It’s essential to include these communities – especially fishing communities.”

Contemporary Evolution

Currently, when sailors from various island nations – from the Fijian islands, Micronesia and New Zealand – visit Lifou, they analyze boats collectively, adjust the structure and finally navigate in unison.

“We’re not simply replicating the ancient designs, we make them evolve.”

Holistic Approach

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

“It’s all about how we involve people: who has the right to move across the sea, and who determines what occurs on it? The canoe is a way to start that conversation.”