Restoring the Forgotten Tradition of Traditional Boat Construction in the Pacific Territory

In October on Lifou, a ancient-style canoe was set afloat in the turquoise waters – a seemingly minor event that represented a profoundly important moment.

It was the maiden journey of a ancestral vessel on Lifou in living memory, an gathering that brought together the island’s main family lineages in a rare show of unity.

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

Dozens of canoes have been crafted in an project intended to reunite Indigenous Kanak people with their maritime heritage. Tikoure states the boats also facilitate the “start of conversation” around ocean rights and environmental policies.

Global Outreach

In July, he visited France and had discussions with President Emmanuel Macron, pushing for marine policies created in consultation with and by Indigenous communities that recognise their maritime heritage.

“Our ancestors always traveled by water. We lost that for a time,” Tikoure explains. “Today we’re reclaiming it again.”

Traditional vessels hold significant historical meaning in New Caledonia. They once symbolised travel, exchange and family cooperations across islands, but those practices faded under colonial rule and outside cultural pressures.

Heritage Restoration

The initiative commenced in 2016, when the New Caledonia heritage ministry was looking at how to restore traditional canoe-building skills. Tikoure worked with the government and following a two-year period the canoe construction project – known as Project Kenu Waan – was born.

“The biggest challenge was not harvesting timber, it was convincing people,” he explains.

Initiative Accomplishments

The program worked to bring back heritage voyaging practices, mentor apprentice constructors and use boat-building to strengthen community pride and island partnerships.

To date, the organization has produced an exhibition, released a publication and supported the construction or restoration of nearly three dozen boats – from the southern region to the northern shoreline.

Material Advantages

Different from many other oceanic nations where tree loss has reduced wood resources, New Caledonia still has proper lumber for constructing major boats.

“There, they often work with synthetic materials. Locally, we can still craft from natural timber,” he explains. “It makes a significant advantage.”

The vessels created under the Kenu Waan Project combine traditional boat forms with regional navigation methods.

Teaching Development

Since 2024, Tikoure has also been educating students in navigation and traditional construction history at the University of New Caledonia.

“This marks the initial occasion these subjects are taught at master’s level. This isn’t academic – it’s something I’ve lived. I’ve navigated major waters on these canoes. I’ve felt overwhelming happiness doing it.”

Pacific Partnerships

He traveled with the team of the Uto ni Yalo, the Pacific vessel that sailed to Tonga for the oceanic conference in 2024.

“Throughout the region, through various islands, this represents a unified effort,” he states. “We’re restoring the maritime heritage as a community.”

Policy Advocacy

During the summer, Tikoure visited the European location to present a “Traditional understanding of the sea” when he met with Macron and government representatives.

Before state and foreign officials, he pushed for collaborative ocean management based on Kanak custom and participation.

“We must engage these communities – especially fishing communities.”

Contemporary Evolution

Currently, when navigators from across the Pacific – from the Fijian islands, the Micronesian region and Aotearoa – come to Lifou, they examine vessels in cooperation, adjust the structure and ultimately voyage together.

“We don’t just copy the ancient designs, we enable their progression.”

Holistic Approach

In his view, teaching navigation and advocating environmental policy are connected.

“The core concept concerns community participation: who is entitled to travel ocean waters, and who decides what occurs in these waters? Heritage boats function as a means to start that conversation.”