Restoring this Forgotten Craft of Canoe Making in New Caledonia

In October on Lifou, a double-hulled canoe was set afloat in the coastal lagoon – a seemingly minor event that marked a highly meaningful moment.

It was the inaugural voyage of a ancestral vessel on Lifou in generations, an event that assembled the island’s primary tribal groups in a rare show of unity.

Activist and sailor Aile Tikoure was the driving force behind the launch. For the last eight years, he has spearheaded a project that works to resurrect ancestral vessel construction in New Caledonia.

Many heritage vessels have been crafted in an project designed to reconnect native Kanak communities with their maritime heritage. Tikoure explains the boats also promote the “start of conversation” around maritime entitlements and environmental policies.

International Advocacy

In July, he travelled to France and had discussions with President Emmanuel Macron, pushing for marine policies created in consultation with and by Indigenous communities that recognise their connection to the ocean.

“Previous generations always navigated the ocean. We forgot that knowledge for a time,” Tikoure says. “Today we’re reclaiming it again.”

Canoes hold profound traditional meaning in New Caledonia. They once symbolised mobility, exchange and clan alliances across islands, but those traditions faded under colonisation and outside cultural pressures.

Heritage Restoration

This mission commenced in 2016, when the New Caledonia heritage ministry was exploring how to bring back ancestral boat-making techniques. Tikoure collaborated with the administration and two years later the canoe construction project – known as Kenu Waan project – was established.

“The biggest challenge was not harvesting timber, it was gaining local support,” he explains.

Project Achievements

The initiative aimed to restore heritage voyaging practices, educate new craftspeople and use vessel construction to enhance traditional heritage and island partnerships.

Up to now, the team has organized a showcase, issued a volume and enabled the creation or repair of approximately thirty vessels – from Goro to Ponerihouen.

Material Advantages

Unlike many other island territories where tree loss has reduced lumber availability, New Caledonia still has suitable wood for crafting substantial vessels.

“Elsewhere, they often use marine plywood. In our location, we can still craft from natural timber,” he states. “It makes a significant advantage.”

The vessels built under the initiative merge traditional boat forms with local sailing systems.

Educational Expansion

Beginning this year, Tikoure has also been instructing maritime travel and ancestral craft methods at the educational institution.

“This marks the initial occasion these subjects are offered at master’s level. It goes beyond textbooks – it’s something I’ve experienced. I’ve crossed oceans on traditional boats. I’ve felt overwhelming happiness during these journeys.”

Pacific Partnerships

He voyaged with the crew of the Fijian vessel, the Pacific vessel that sailed to Tonga for the regional gathering in 2024.

“Across the Pacific, including our location, it’s the same movement,” he explains. “We’re taking back the sea together.”

Governance Efforts

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

Addressing official and foreign officials, he pushed for collaborative ocean management based on local practices and community involvement.

“We must engage local populations – especially fishing communities.”

Modern Adaptation

Now, when mariners from across the Pacific – from the Fijian islands, the Micronesian region and New Zealand – arrive in Lifou, they study canoes together, adjust the structure and ultimately voyage together.

“It’s not about duplicating the old models, we help them develop.”

Integrated Mission

According to Tikoure, teaching navigation and advocating environmental policy are interrelated.

“It’s all about public engagement: who is entitled to navigate marine territories, and who determines what occurs there? Heritage boats function as a means to initiate that discussion.”