Reviving the Lost Art of Canoe Making in New Caledonia

During the autumn month of October on Lifou, a traditional twin-hulled vessel was pushed into the lagoon – a seemingly minor event that signified a profoundly important moment.

It was the inaugural voyage of a ancestral vessel on Lifou in many decades, an occasion that brought together the island’s main family lineages in a rare show of unity.

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

Many heritage vessels have been constructed in an effort intended to reunite native Kanak communities with their maritime heritage. Tikoure states the boats also facilitate the “start of conversation” around maritime entitlements and environmental policies.

Diplomatic Efforts

This past July, he visited France and had discussions with President Emmanuel Macron, calling for ocean governance shaped with and by native populations that acknowledge their maritime heritage.

“Previous generations always crossed the sea. We abandoned that practice for a while,” Tikoure says. “Now we’re finding it again.”

Heritage boats hold profound traditional significance in New Caledonia. They once symbolised travel, interaction and family cooperations across islands, but those practices declined under colonisation and religious conversion efforts.

Cultural Reclamation

The initiative began in 2016, when the New Caledonia cultural authorities was looking at how to reintroduce traditional canoe-building skills. Tikoure collaborated with the government and two years later the vessel restoration program – known as the Kenu Waan initiative – was established.

“The most difficult aspect was not wood collection, it was persuading communities,” he explains.

Program Successes

The Kenu Waan project worked to bring back ancestral sailing methods, educate new craftspeople and use canoe-making to enhance cultural identity and inter-island cooperation.

So far, the team has produced an exhibition, published a book and facilitated the creation or repair of nearly three dozen boats – from the southern region to the northern shoreline.

Material Advantages

Unlike many other oceanic nations where forest clearing has reduced lumber availability, New Caledonia still has suitable wood for carving large hulls.

“Elsewhere, they often use modern composites. Locally, we can still craft from natural timber,” he states. “This creates a crucial distinction.”

The vessels created under the Kenu Waan Project integrate traditional boat forms with Melanesian rigging.

Academic Integration

Beginning this year, Tikoure has also been educating students in navigation and ancestral craft methods at the educational institution.

“It’s the first time these topics are taught at master’s level. This isn’t academic – this is knowledge I’ve personally undertaken. I’ve navigated major waters on these vessels. I’ve experienced profound emotion during these journeys.”

Island Cooperation

He traveled with the crew of the traditional boat, the Fijian canoe that sailed to Tonga for the oceanic conference in 2024.

“From Hawaii to Rapa Nui, from Fiji to here, we’re part of a collective initiative,” he says. “We’re reclaiming the sea collectively.”

Governance Efforts

This past July, Tikoure travelled to Nice, France to present a “Kanak vision of the marine environment” when he met with Macron and government representatives.

Before state and overseas representatives, he argued for shared maritime governance based on local practices and community involvement.

“It’s essential to include them – especially people dependent on marine resources.”

Contemporary Evolution

Currently, when sailors from across the Pacific – from the Fijian islands, Micronesia and New Zealand – arrive in Lifou, they analyze boats collectively, adjust the structure and eventually sail side by side.

“We don’t just copy the traditional forms, we enable their progression.”

Integrated Mission

In his view, instructing mariners and advocating environmental policy are linked.

“The fundamental issue involves community participation: who is entitled to move across the sea, and who determines which activities take place on it? Traditional vessels function as a means to start that conversation.”