Bringing Back the Lost Craft of Canoe Construction in New Caledonia

In October on Lifou island, a ancient-style canoe was set afloat in the coastal lagoon – a simple gesture that represented a highly meaningful moment.

It was the maiden journey of a ancestral vessel on Lifou in living memory, an occasion that assembled the island’s primary tribal groups in a uncommon display of togetherness.

Activist and sailor Aile Tikoure was instrumental in the launch. For the previous eight-year period, he has led a project that aims to revive heritage canoe building in New Caledonia.

Numerous traditional boats have been built in an effort aimed at reconnecting Indigenous Kanak people with their maritime heritage. Tikoure states the boats also help the “opening of discussions” around maritime entitlements and conservation measures.

Global Outreach

During the summer month of July, he visited France and met President Emmanuel Macron, advocating for ocean governance shaped with and by Indigenous communities that acknowledge their maritime heritage.

“Previous generations always traveled by water. We lost that for a time,” Tikoure states. “Currently we’re rediscovering it again.”

Heritage boats hold significant historical meaning in New Caledonia. They once represented travel, exchange and tribal partnerships across islands, but those traditions diminished under colonisation and missionary influences.

Cultural Reclamation

His journey began in 2016, when the New Caledonia cultural authorities was exploring how to bring back traditional canoe-building skills. Tikoure collaborated with the administration and two years later the canoe construction project – known as Kenu Waan project – was launched.

“The most difficult aspect didn’t involve cutting down trees, it was gaining local support,” he says.

Initiative Accomplishments

The Kenu Waan project aimed to restore traditional navigation techniques, train young builders and use canoe-making to enhance community pride and island partnerships.

To date, the organization has organized a showcase, published a book and supported the construction or restoration of around 30 canoes – from Goro to the northern shoreline.

Resource Benefits

Different from many other island territories where forest clearing has diminished lumber availability, New Caledonia still has appropriate timber for constructing major boats.

“There, they often work with marine plywood. Here, we can still craft from natural timber,” he explains. “That represents a crucial distinction.”

The vessels created under the initiative merge Polynesian hull design with regional navigation methods.

Educational Expansion

Since 2024, Tikoure has also been instructing navigation and heritage building techniques at the educational institution.

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

Island Cooperation

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

“Throughout the region, through various islands, this represents a unified effort,” he explains. “We’re reclaiming the sea together.”

Policy Advocacy

In July, Tikoure visited Nice, France to present a “Indigenous perspective of the marine environment” when he met with Macron and government representatives.

Addressing official and international delegates, he pushed for collaborative ocean management based on Indigenous traditions and community involvement.

“You have to involve them – especially fishing communities.”

Modern Adaptation

Currently, when mariners from across the Pacific – from Fiji, the Micronesian region and New Zealand – arrive in Lifou, they study canoes collectively, refine the construction and eventually sail side by side.

“We don’t just copy the traditional forms, we help them develop.”

Integrated Mission

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

“It’s all about public engagement: who has the right to move across the sea, and who decides which activities take place in these waters? Heritage boats serve as a method to start that conversation.”