Reviving this Forgotten Art of Canoe Building in New Caledonia

During the autumn month of October on Lifou island, a double-hulled canoe was set afloat in the lagoon – a simple gesture that marked a profoundly important moment.

It was the maiden journey of a ancestral vessel on Lifou in many decades, an gathering that united the island’s primary tribal groups in a uncommon display of togetherness.

Activist and sailor Aile Tikoure was the driving force behind the launch. For the previous eight-year period, he has overseen a project that seeks to restore heritage canoe building in New Caledonia.

Dozens of canoes have been constructed in an initiative aimed at reconnecting local Kanak populations with their seafaring legacy. Tikoure states the boats also promote the “start of conversation” around maritime entitlements and ecological regulations.

International Advocacy

During the summer month of July, he travelled to France and conferred with President Emmanuel Macron, pushing for ocean governance shaped with and by Indigenous communities that recognise their maritime heritage.

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

Canoes hold deep cultural meaning in New Caledonia. They once stood for travel, exchange and tribal partnerships across islands, but those practices faded under colonial rule and outside cultural pressures.

Heritage Restoration

This mission started in 2016, when the New Caledonia cultural authorities was considering how to bring back heritage vessel construction methods. Tikoure partnered with the administration and following a two-year period the vessel restoration program – known as Kenu Waan project – was established.

“The hardest part wasn’t cutting down trees, it was persuading communities,” he notes.

Initiative Accomplishments

The program aimed to restore heritage voyaging practices, mentor apprentice constructors and use vessel construction to strengthen cultural identity and inter-island cooperation.

So far, the team has organized a showcase, released a publication and supported the building or renovation of nearly three dozen boats – from the far south to the northern shoreline.

Material Advantages

Different from many other oceanic nations where forest clearing has reduced lumber availability, New Caledonia still has proper lumber for crafting substantial vessels.

“There, they often work with modern composites. Here, we can still work with whole trees,” he says. “It makes all the difference.”

The canoes constructed under the initiative merge Polynesian hull design with Melanesian rigging.

Educational Expansion

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

“It’s the first time these subjects are taught at advanced education. It’s not theory – these are experiences I’ve personally undertaken. I’ve sailed vast distances on these canoes. I’ve cried tears of joy doing it.”

Regional Collaboration

He voyaged with the crew of the Fijian vessel, the Pacific vessel that traveled to Tonga for the oceanic conference in 2024.

“Throughout the region, including our location, it’s the same movement,” he says. “We’re taking back the ocean as a community.”

Political Engagement

During the summer, Tikoure journeyed to the French city to share a “Kanak vision of the marine environment” when he met with Macron and government representatives.

Before state and overseas representatives, he advocated for cooperative sea policies based on Indigenous traditions and community involvement.

“You have to involve them – particularly those who live from fishing.”

Contemporary Evolution

Now, when mariners from across the Pacific – from Fiji, Micronesia and New Zealand – come to Lifou, they study canoes together, adjust the structure and ultimately navigate in unison.

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

Comprehensive Vision

In his view, educating sailors and promoting conservation measures are interrelated.

“The core concept concerns public engagement: what permissions exist to navigate marine territories, and what authority governs what occurs there? The canoe function as a means to start that conversation.”