🔗 Share this article Bringing Back this Forgotten Craft of Traditional Boat Construction in the Pacific Territory During the autumn month of October on Lifou island, a ancient-style canoe was set afloat in the turquoise waters – a seemingly minor event that marked a profoundly important moment. It was the first launch of a heritage boat on Lifou in living memory, an event that assembled the island’s main family lineages in a uncommon display of togetherness. Activist and sailor Aile Tikoure was behind the launch. For the past eight years, he has spearheaded a project that aims to revive ancestral vessel construction in New Caledonia. Numerous traditional boats have been constructed in an project aimed at reconnecting native Kanak communities with their seafaring legacy. Tikoure states the boats also help the “start of conversation” around maritime entitlements and ecological regulations. International Advocacy This past July, he visited France and conferred with President Emmanuel Macron, pushing for maritime regulations created in consultation with and by local tribes that honor their maritime heritage. “Forefathers always crossed the sea. We abandoned that practice for a period,” Tikoure states. “Now we’re finding it again.” Heritage boats hold profound traditional importance in New Caledonia. They once stood for travel, exchange and family cooperations across islands, but those practices diminished under colonisation and missionary influences. Cultural Reclamation His journey commenced in 2016, when the New Caledonia government’s culture department was looking at how to restore heritage vessel construction methods. Tikoure worked with the administration and after two years the vessel restoration program – known as Project Kenu Waan – was established. “The most difficult aspect didn’t involve cutting down trees, it was convincing people,” he says. Program Successes The initiative worked to bring back ancestral sailing methods, mentor apprentice constructors and use vessel construction to reinforce community pride and regional collaboration. Up to now, the team has produced an exhibition, published a book and enabled the creation or repair of around 30 canoes – from Goro to the northeastern coast. Resource Benefits Different from many other oceanic nations where tree loss has reduced lumber availability, New Caledonia still has suitable wood for constructing major boats. “In other places, they often employ marine plywood. In our location, we can still craft from natural timber,” he states. “It makes a crucial distinction.” The canoes built under the program merge Polynesian hull design with Melanesian rigging. Teaching Development Starting recently, Tikoure has also been instructing seafaring and ancestral craft methods at the local university. “It’s the first time this knowledge are included at master’s level. This isn’t academic – it’s something I’ve lived. I’ve sailed vast distances on these vessels. I’ve cried tears of joy while accomplishing this.” Pacific Partnerships He traveled with the team of the Uto ni Yalo, the Fijian canoe that sailed to Tonga for the regional gathering in 2024. “From Hawaii to Rapa Nui, through various islands, it’s the same movement,” he says. “We’re restoring the ocean collectively.” Political Engagement In July, Tikoure travelled to the French city to present a “Traditional understanding of the marine environment” when he met with Macron and additional officials. Addressing official and overseas representatives, he argued for shared maritime governance based on Indigenous traditions and local engagement. “We must engage them – most importantly those who live from fishing.” Modern Adaptation Today, when mariners from throughout the region – from Fiji, Micronesia and Aotearoa – arrive in Lifou, they study canoes in cooperation, adjust the structure and eventually navigate in unison. “We don’t just copy the traditional forms, we make them evolve.” Integrated Mission According to Tikoure, teaching navigation and promoting conservation measures are linked. “The core concept concerns how we involve people: who is entitled to move across the sea, and who decides what happens there? Traditional vessels is a way to initiate that discussion.”