Bringing Back the Forgotten Art of Canoe Making in the Pacific Territory

During the autumn month of October on Lifou island, a traditional twin-hulled vessel was pushed into the coastal lagoon – a seemingly minor event that marked a deeply symbolic moment.

It was the inaugural voyage of a heritage boat on Lifou in generations, an gathering that brought together the island’s three chiefly clans in a uncommon display of togetherness.

Seafarer and campaigner Aile Tikoure was instrumental in the launch. For the past eight years, he has spearheaded a project that works to resurrect traditional boat making in New Caledonia.

Numerous traditional boats have been constructed in an project designed to reconnect local Kanak populations with their maritime heritage. Tikoure says the boats also help the “start of conversation” around ocean rights and environmental policies.

International Advocacy

In July, he visited France and met President Emmanuel Macron, advocating for ocean governance shaped with and by Indigenous communities that recognise their connection to the ocean.

“Previous generations always traveled by water. We forgot that knowledge for a while,” Tikoure states. “Today we’re reclaiming it again.”

Traditional vessels hold deep cultural meaning in New Caledonia. They once represented travel, trade and family cooperations across islands, but those customs faded under colonial rule and outside cultural pressures.

Heritage Restoration

His journey began in 2016, when the New Caledonia cultural authorities was considering how to reintroduce heritage vessel construction methods. Tikoure collaborated with the government and after two years the canoe construction project – known as the Kenu Waan initiative – was established.

“The most difficult aspect was not wood collection, it was gaining local support,” he notes.

Program Successes

The program aimed to restore heritage voyaging practices, mentor apprentice constructors and use vessel construction to enhance cultural identity and island partnerships.

Up to now, the group has organized a showcase, released a publication and enabled the creation or repair of nearly three dozen boats – from the far south to the northeastern coast.

Natural Resources

Unlike many other Pacific islands where forest clearing has limited wood resources, New Caledonia still has appropriate timber for carving large hulls.

“There, they often use synthetic materials. In our location, we can still craft from natural timber,” he explains. “That represents all the difference.”

The vessels constructed under the Kenu Waan Project integrate oceanic vessel shapes with regional navigation methods.

Academic Integration

Starting recently, Tikoure has also been instructing seafaring and traditional construction history at the local university.

“This marks the initial occasion these topics are offered at advanced education. It’s not theory – it’s something I’ve personally undertaken. I’ve navigated major waters on these canoes. I’ve experienced profound emotion during these journeys.”

Regional Collaboration

He voyaged with the members of the Uto ni Yalo, the heritage craft that traveled to Tonga for the regional gathering in 2024.

“Across the Pacific, from Fiji to here, it’s the same movement,” he states. “We’re restoring the maritime heritage as a community.”

Political Engagement

In July, Tikoure journeyed to the French city to present a “Kanak vision of the ocean” when he conferred with Macron and additional officials.

Addressing official and overseas representatives, he advocated for collaborative ocean management based on local practices and local engagement.

“It’s essential to include them – especially people dependent on marine resources.”

Current Development

Today, when sailors from across the Pacific – from Fiji, Micronesia and Aotearoa – come to Lifou, they study canoes in cooperation, refine the construction and eventually sail side by side.

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

Comprehensive Vision

In his view, instructing mariners and supporting ecological regulations are linked.

“It’s all about public engagement: who is entitled to travel ocean waters, and who determines what happens there? Heritage boats is a way to start that conversation.”