Avoiding Local Culture Deprivation in Historical Landscape by Involving Special Interest Community in Foothill Villages of East Java

Abstract

By the late 2010, the cultural heritage of East Java has being promoted as a new tourist product. One of this cultural heritage is Penanggungan Ancient Complex. It is an ancient area located on Mount Penanggunan, that was built in the periods of Fourteenth century Hindu Kingdom of Majapahit. The ancient structure is not the only cultural assets founded in this Forest villages, but there are others valuable intangible culture such as Bersih Desa (Village Purification) and Meteri Sumber (watersprings rituals) traditions that being held to preserve water spring. The tradition that has roots from pre-Islamic era apparently has been abandoned since the incursion of western Capitalism and other globalized Ideology. The vanishing process has been checked by the important role of community that has special interest on preserving traditional practice and beliefs. The community not only played important role on cultural and tradition preservation but also prevented their environment from man-made and natural disaster. They want to prevent this high risk area form landslides but most of the endanger environment and cultural site belongs to Forest State Company. The community were not allowed to make any activity on those area despite many villagers using this land for farming. How did they works and what the obstacle should they cope with? How does our effort to solve their problem? Therefore, this article tried to depict the role of Special Interest Community on protecting this cultural and natural sources from deteriorated process and the important of Cultural Resources Management in maximized the role of cultural asset to the people in the Forest Village. This research has conducted by using social research method. Community were empowered by introducing them with new material of “cultural research management”, entrepreneur skill, special interest tourism and assistance also. By discussing our new paradigm in Forum Group Discussion, involving all stake holder including State Forest Company, this company allowed the community to develop an activity that could provide new economic opportunity for local people and preserving the environment from landslides. It can be concluded that State Forest Company and Local Government fully understanding the will of Community in their effort to preserve and using this cultural tradition and site in order to made new economic opportunity for the sake of the people of