🔗 Share this article Restoring this Ancient Tradition of Traditional Boat Building in the Pacific Territory In October on Lifou island, a double-hulled canoe was launched into the coastal lagoon – a small act that signified a deeply symbolic moment. It was the first launch of a traditional canoe on Lifou in many decades, an occasion that united the island’s main family lineages in a rare show of unity. Mariner and advocate Aile Tikoure was instrumental in the launch. For the last eight years, he has overseen a program that aims to revive heritage canoe building in New Caledonia. Many heritage vessels have been built in an project intended to reunite local Kanak populations with their seafaring legacy. Tikoure states the boats also help the “beginning of dialogue” around ocean rights and ecological regulations. Global Outreach In July, he journeyed to France and conferred with President Emmanuel Macron, calling for maritime regulations developed alongside and by native populations that honor their maritime heritage. “Our ancestors always traveled by water. We abandoned that practice for a time,” Tikoure explains. “Today we’re reclaiming it again.” Traditional vessels hold significant historical importance in New Caledonia. They once stood for movement, interaction and clan alliances across islands, but those customs declined under colonisation and religious conversion efforts. Heritage Restoration The initiative commenced in 2016, when the New Caledonia government’s culture department was considering how to reintroduce traditional canoe-building skills. Tikoure partnered with the authorities and after two years the boat building initiative – known as the Kenu Waan initiative – was established. “The hardest part was not harvesting timber, it was convincing people,” he says. Initiative Accomplishments The initiative worked to bring back ancestral sailing methods, mentor apprentice constructors and use canoe-making to strengthen community pride and island partnerships. Up to now, the group has organized a showcase, issued a volume and enabled the construction or restoration of around 30 canoes – from Goro to the northeastern coast. Natural Resources Different from many other island territories where deforestation has reduced wood resources, New Caledonia still has appropriate timber for constructing major boats. “Elsewhere, they often use synthetic materials. Locally, we can still work with whole trees,” he explains. “It makes a crucial distinction.” The vessels built under the program integrate traditional boat forms with regional navigation methods. Teaching Development Since 2024, Tikoure has also been instructing seafaring and traditional construction history at the local university. “This marks the initial occasion this knowledge are included at graduate studies. This isn’t academic – these are experiences I’ve experienced. I’ve sailed vast distances on traditional boats. I’ve cried tears of joy while accomplishing this.” Regional Collaboration He voyaged with the team of the traditional boat, the Pacific vessel that sailed to Tonga for the regional gathering in 2024. “From Hawaii to Rapa Nui, through various islands, we’re part of a collective initiative,” he says. “We’re taking back the maritime heritage as a community.” Policy Advocacy During the summer, Tikoure journeyed to Nice, France to present a “Indigenous perspective of the marine environment” when he conferred with Macron and additional officials. Before state and overseas representatives, he argued for cooperative sea policies based on local practices and local engagement. “We must engage local populations – especially people dependent on marine resources.” Contemporary Evolution Today, when sailors from throughout the region – from Fiji, Micronesia and Aotearoa – come to Lifou, they study canoes collectively, refine the construction and eventually voyage together. “We don’t just copy the ancient designs, we help them develop.” Comprehensive Vision According to Tikoure, educating sailors and advocating environmental policy are linked. “It’s all about community participation: who has the right to move across the sea, and who determines what occurs there? The canoe function as a means to begin that dialogue.”