🔗 Share this article Reviving the Lost Art of Canoe Construction in the Pacific Territory In October on Lifou island, a traditional twin-hulled vessel was pushed into the lagoon – a seemingly minor event that represented a highly meaningful 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. Seafarer and campaigner Aile Tikoure was instrumental in the launch. For the last eight years, he has overseen a program that works to resurrect ancestral vessel construction in New Caledonia. Numerous traditional boats have been built in an project aimed at reconnecting Indigenous Kanak people with their oceanic traditions. Tikoure explains the boats also promote the “opening of discussions” around ocean rights and environmental policies. International Advocacy In July, he travelled to France and met President Emmanuel Macron, pushing for ocean governance developed alongside and by local tribes that recognise their relationship with the sea. “Our ancestors always traveled by water. We abandoned that practice for a while,” Tikoure says. “Now we’re finding it again.” Traditional vessels hold significant historical meaning in New Caledonia. They once symbolised mobility, exchange and clan alliances across islands, but those practices declined under colonial rule and religious conversion efforts. Tradition Revival This mission started in 2016, when the New Caledonia cultural authorities was considering how to bring back heritage vessel construction methods. Tikoure worked with the government and after two years the canoe construction project – known as Project Kenu Waan – was established. “The most difficult aspect was not cutting down trees, it was convincing people,” he explains. Initiative Accomplishments The program aimed to restore traditional navigation techniques, mentor apprentice constructors and use canoe-making to reinforce traditional heritage and inter-island cooperation. Up to now, the organization has organized a showcase, released a publication and facilitated the building or renovation of nearly three dozen boats – from Goro to Ponerihouen. Natural Resources Different from many other Pacific islands where deforestation has reduced timber supplies, New Caledonia still has appropriate timber for constructing major boats. “In other places, they often employ synthetic materials. Locally, we can still work with whole trees,” he states. “This creates a crucial distinction.” The vessels built under the initiative merge traditional boat forms with local sailing systems. Educational Expansion Beginning this year, Tikoure has also been teaching navigation and heritage building techniques at the University of New Caledonia. “For the first time ever this knowledge are taught at graduate studies. This isn’t academic – this is knowledge I’ve personally undertaken. I’ve crossed oceans on these vessels. I’ve felt overwhelming happiness doing it.” Pacific Partnerships He voyaged with the crew of the Fijian vessel, the Pacific vessel that traveled to Tonga for the Pacific Islands Forum in 2024. “From Hawaii to Rapa Nui, including our location, it’s the same movement,” he states. “We’re reclaiming the maritime heritage as a community.” Political Engagement In July, Tikoure visited the French city to present a “Traditional understanding of the ocean” when he conferred with Macron and government representatives. In front of government and overseas representatives, he pushed for cooperative sea policies based on Indigenous traditions and community involvement. “You have to involve these communities – particularly fishing communities.” Current Development Today, when navigators from across the Pacific – from the Fijian islands, Micronesia and Aotearoa – arrive in Lifou, they study canoes in cooperation, modify the design and finally sail side by side. “We’re not simply replicating the traditional forms, we enable their progression.” Integrated Mission According to Tikoure, educating sailors and advocating environmental policy are interrelated. “It’s all about community participation: who has the right to navigate marine territories, and who determines what occurs there? Traditional vessels serve as a method to initiate that discussion.”