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During the autumn month of October on Lifou island, a ancient-style canoe was pushed into the coastal lagoon – a small act that represented a profoundly important moment.

It was the maiden journey of a heritage boat on Lifou in many decades, an gathering that brought together the island’s three chiefly clans in a uncommon display of togetherness.

Mariner and advocate Aile Tikoure was the driving force behind the launch. For the past eight years, he has overseen a program that works to resurrect ancestral vessel construction in New Caledonia.

Many heritage vessels have been built in an project designed to reconnect native Kanak communities with their oceanic traditions. Tikoure explains the boats also help the “start of conversation” around sea access rights and conservation measures.

Global Outreach

During the summer month of July, he travelled to France and met President Emmanuel Macron, calling for ocean governance created in consultation with and by native populations that honor their maritime heritage.

“Previous generations always navigated the ocean. We lost that for a period,” Tikoure states. “Currently we’re rediscovering it again.”

Heritage boats hold profound traditional importance in New Caledonia. They once stood for mobility, trade and clan alliances across islands, but those customs diminished under foreign occupation and outside cultural pressures.

Tradition Revival

The initiative began in 2016, when the New Caledonia heritage ministry was exploring how to reintroduce ancestral boat-making techniques. Tikoure collaborated with the administration and two years later the boat building initiative – known as the Kenu Waan initiative – was born.

“The most difficult aspect didn’t involve wood collection, it was persuading communities,” he says.

Initiative Accomplishments

The Kenu Waan project aimed to restore ancestral sailing methods, train young builders and use canoe-making to reinforce cultural identity and inter-island cooperation.

Up to now, the team has created a display, published a book and supported the construction or restoration of approximately thirty vessels – from the far south to Ponerihouen.

Resource Benefits

In contrast to many other island territories where tree loss has reduced wood resources, New Caledonia still has appropriate timber for crafting substantial vessels.

“Elsewhere, they often work with modern composites. Here, we can still work with whole trees,” he says. “This creates a significant advantage.”

The boats built under the program combine Polynesian hull design with regional navigation methods.

Academic Integration

Since 2024, Tikoure has also been teaching navigation and ancestral craft methods at the educational institution.

“It’s the first time this knowledge are taught at graduate studies. This isn’t academic – these are experiences I’ve personally undertaken. I’ve sailed vast distances on these vessels. I’ve experienced profound emotion during these journeys.”

Regional Collaboration

He voyaged with the crew of the traditional boat, the heritage craft that sailed to Tonga for the oceanic conference in 2024.

“From Hawaii to Rapa Nui, including our location, this represents a unified effort,” he states. “We’re taking back the sea collectively.”

Political Engagement

During the summer, Tikoure visited the French city to share a “Traditional understanding of the sea” when he conferred with Macron and additional officials.

In front of government and overseas representatives, he advocated for cooperative sea policies based on local practices and participation.

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

Contemporary Evolution

Currently, when navigators from throughout the region – from the Fijian islands, Micronesia and New Zealand – arrive in Lifou, they examine vessels in cooperation, refine the construction and finally voyage together.

“We’re not simply replicating the traditional forms, we make them evolve.”

Integrated Mission

For Tikoure, instructing mariners and supporting ecological regulations are connected.

“The fundamental issue involves how we involve people: who has the right to navigate marine territories, and who decides what occurs in these waters? The canoe serve as a method to initiate that discussion.”