Indigenous Traditions Kuta in Preserving the Environment to
Maintain Nation Character
Wina Nurhayati Praja, Dasim Budimansyah, Elly Malihah and Iim Siti Masyitoh
Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Jl. Dr. Setiabudhi No. 229, Bandung, Indonesia
Keywords: Indigenous, Tradition, National Character.
Abstract: The background of this research by interaction man and his environment no longer figured as a component
of the biosphere but on the contrary, growth and human civilization is said to cause the destruction of the
environment. Worse yet the impression appears that the Indonesian government has sacrificed
environmental sustainability for and on behalf of development. In fact, citizens' awareness in preserving the
environment needs to be improved, considering not only in Indonesia but the world is currently
experiencing an environmental crisis rooted in human misconduct that is rooted in human perspectives
mistake about human, self, nature, and human relationships with all universe. N-use values of cultural
values and lifestyle of the people are there to be actualized, maintained, and developed.
1 PRELIMINARY
The cultural and character issues of the nation are
now in the spotlight of society. Based on some data
and facts about the moral decline of the younger
generation, it takes an educational process that
prioritizes character education. The character of the
nation is supported by every individual character of
a citizen. Implementation of education cannot be
separated from the educational objectives to be
achieved based on national development which
essentially implemented by the nation covering all
areas of life. Based on problems the then researchers
want look How wisdom of indigenous peoples are
able to contribute to environmental conservation. As
Budimansyah (2010) asserts that character as a
virtue (to know the value of virtue, want to do good
and really good Bohemian) is deeply engraved and
embodied in behaving. From what has been
explained, that the character is not only seen from
what is often done by everyone through the behavior
and habits that often do but every good value that is
in each person through behavior. Therefore,
awareness of citizens is needed in the process of
implementation of the program or project but
provides an opportunity to identify problems, solve,
make decisions, monitor, and evaluate.
2 METHODS
The approach used in this study is qualitative, since
the problems associated with humans are
fundamentally dependent on observation. Alwasilah
(2006) points out that: "Qualitative research is
essentially observing people in their environment,
interacting with them, trying to interpret their
language and their interpretation of the world around
them." In this qualitative study, researchers as the
main instrument (key instrument) must go to the
field and were in the field in a long time.
Researchers plunge into the field to examine certain
human activities by collecting data from the results
of the researcher's interaction with them. Nasution
(1996), reveals that: "Researchers should be able to
understand and try to understand the language and
their interpretation, to the qualitative research is not
done in a short time".
The method used in this research is a case study
(case study). According Suryabrata (2010), suggests
the case study method as follows, "The case method
is a procedure for solving a problem that was
investigated by describing / depicting the state of the
subject / object of study (a person, institution,
community, etc.) at the time now based on the facts
that appear or as appropriate.” This is in accordance
with the opinion of Bogdan and Biklen (1982) says:
“A case study is a detailed examination of one
472
Praja, W., Budimansyah, D., Malihah, E. and Masyitoh, I.
Indigenous Traditions Kuta in Preserving the Environment to Maintain Nation Character.
In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Sociology Education (ICSE 2017) - Volume 1, pages 472-476
ISBN: 978-989-758-316-2
Copyright © 2018 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved

setting or one single subject or one single depository
of document or one particular event.” Suryabrata
(2010) discloses the purpose of case studies and
field research is to study intensively about the
background of the present state and environmental
interactions of a social unit: individuals, groups,
institutions or communities.
3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
3.1 Results
In fact, the awareness of citizens in preserving the
environment needs to be improved, given not only in
Indonesia, but the world is currently experiencing an
environmental crisis that is rooted in the mistakes of
human behavior is rooted in the mistakes a human
perspective on human, alone, nature and human
relationships with the whole universe (Keraf, 2010).
As well as Cogan in Budimansyah (2008) added
eight characteristics that need to be owned by
citizens in connection with the increasing severity of
the challenges to be faced in the future.
Characteristics of such citizens include:
 Ability know and approaching problem as
citizens country global community;
 Ability cooperate with others and shouldering
responsibility answer on role or obligations in
community;
 Ability for understand, accept, and respect
differences culture;
 Ability thinking critical and systematically;
 Will complete conflict with way peace
without violence;
 Will change style life and pattern food
principal already can, in order to protect
environment life;
 Have sensitivity to and maintain right azasi
human (such as right people women,
minorities ethnicity, etc.);
 Will and ability participate in life political on
levels government local, national, and
international (Sapriya, 2004).
Confirmed by the Center for Curriculum B
alitbang MONE (Ainiyah, 2013), 'there are 18
characters to be owned by a citizen, namely, the
character of religious, honesty, tolerance, discipline,
hard work, creative, independent, democratic,
curiosity , the spirit of nationalism, the love of the
homeland, the appreciation of achievement,
friendship / communicative, peace loving, caring
environment, social care, and responsibility '. Of the
18 characters are no virtues citizens (civic virtue) in
a social environment that is environmentally
conscious character, it means that one must have a
sense of responsibility and have a high awareness in
loving environment.
However, the fact remains that our nation society
is still adorned by a symptom of kelemahkarsaan, a
mentality that is not suitable for development
(Budimansyah, 2006). This will affect the awareness
of citizens in preserving the environment. In this
case Citizenship Education has an important role in
the cultivation of values, because the hallways value
based, these values must be taught in formal
education such as civics civic (community Civics).
Objects Civics and Citizenship Education Study
(civic education) are citizens in conjunction with
community organizations, social, economic,
religious, and state. As explained by Somantri
(2001) which belongs to the object of study civics is:
 Act behavior;
 Type growth think;
 The potential is there in every self citizens
country;
 Right and obligations;
 Ambition and aspiration;
 Awareness (patriotism, nationalism, sense
international, and moral Pancasila);
 Effort, activity, participation and
responsibility responsibility.
Human responsibility in life is not only
responsible for human beings, but also responsible
for environmental sustainability. As was stated by
Bull (2013) that "man as a phenomenon, including
human beings as individuals, humans as social
beings, humans as creatures of culture, and human
beings in the context of the environment." In the
natural system, human beings are part of nature
interact with nature as its environment. In other
words, in this natural system man exists and lives in
the natural environment. Human beings are
responsible for their environment.
The main thing that would have to be done by
humans are changing the paradigm of environmental
conservation. Protecting the environment is an
integrated effort to preserve environmental functions
include planning policy, exploitation, development,
maintenance, restoration, monitoring and control of
the environment. The environment itself is the unity
of space with all things, power, circumstances, and
living things, including human beings and their
behavior, which affect the viability of life and the
well-being of human beings and other living beings.
As disclosed Keraf (2010) that:
Indigenous Traditions Kuta in Preserving the Environment to Maintain Nation Character
473

The purpose of such a paradigm shift is
important, so that human attitudes and behaviors
become more wise in giving meaning to nature.
Therefore, humans must develop a conception of
nature that glorifies and respects nature, also
considers nature as sacred and living. Thus, will give
birth to a respectful attitude and care for the
environment. On that basis, awareness of the
importance of environmental management must be
constantly embedded in human beings.
As described above, the wise and wise attitude is
indispensable to the individual in society. Likewise
in the village of Kuta is still maintain and uphold the
customs of the ancestors. How his ancestors greatly
maintain the value of traditional culture in
preserving and preserving the environment in a wise
and wise. In the midst of modern times such as now,
which tend to ignore human natural environment, in
the village of Kuta still maintain these traditional
values.
Traditions process do by community custom
Kuta in conserve environment life through various
activities / events either already be customs daily or
through custom customs (adat ritual). Society
Kutaholding firm value education traditions /
customs customs. Traditions that lowered by
grandmother ancestors ancestors. Especially in p
conserve environment many habituation has do by
community customKuta for this. Among them is
through pattern life they through for this as
manufacture house, preservation source water
resources, preservation Forest protection, processing
rice fields corresponding withrules custom,
development home custom, development culture
clean, development culture gotong royong,
development art traditional typical village Kuta.
In accordance with the results of previous studies
conducted by Dobson (2006) that "The compliance
of the Kuta community to customary rules that
maintain and protecting the sacred forests is a form
of their awareness to continue her ancestral heritage
in maintaining the sustainability of the forest. What
has been done Kuta community is a concern and a
form of their participation in maintaining Natural
resources and environment. Kuta community has a
role to control deforestation and mengelol a forest so
as to maintain the forest functions as a system clan
life supporting ecosystem of the region." As the
researchers explain in the following diagram:
Figure 1: Perception Concept Relationship Man, God, and
Natural relation with Kuta ritual.
3.2 Discussion
Indonesia as an archipelagic nation consisting of
various ethnics with diverse cultures, each regarded
as a regional culture. Shadily (Huckle, 2013)
suggests that the local culture is the result of an idea
or action of the areas concerned, so as to
characterize and community pride.
Culture is the identity of a nation that can
distinguish the nation with other nations. Article 32
of the 1945 Constitution mandates that state
advancing Indonesian national culture in the midst
of civilization the world by ensuring people's
freedom of care and develop cultural values. In this
context, The Government guarantees the freedom of
the community in maintaining and developing the
cultural values that grow and flourish in Indonesian
society. In the era of globalization, the Government
is obliged protect and serve the community in
maintaining and develop cultural values so as not to
be eroded by values a global culture that is
incompatible with character and identity nation.
Furthermore, according to the government's view
quoted by Taylor (2010) that today there are six
problems faced by Indonesia in the development of
national character, namely: disorientation and not
lived it of Pancasila values as the philosophy and
ideology of the nation; the limitations of integrated
policy instruments in realizing the essential values of
Pancasila; shifting ethical values in the life of
society, nation, and state; waning awareness of the
nation's cultural values; threat of disintegration of
the nation; and the weakening of the nation's
independence.
Character education in the community, one of
which is in the indigenous Kampung Kuta, which
goes along the stages and becomes part of the
process and stages of life of the community. So the
values the faith community character and must be
continually passed on to generations of children they
can be held smoothly and successfully. This is
evidenced by the persistence of values The
ICSE 2017 - 2nd International Conference on Sociology Education
474

characters on the current generation as the
generation of successors society.
Circumstances the above no regardless from
custom and culture Sunda. At least there is four style
of life to be observed in culture Sunda in the District
Ciamis, namely ability adaptability, capability
mobility, ability grow and developing, and ability
regeneration.
Kampung Kuta is located in Tambaksari District,
Ciamis Regency. This Traditional village is
inhabited by people living based on local wisdom.
By upholding the culture, preserving the
environment in this village can be an example for us
all to maintain the environment by adhering to the
local culture.
Kampong Kuta is a traditional village, it is based
on that in the village have similarities in the form
and the physical material of house building, the
existence of Traditional chairman, and the existence
of custom which binds the society.
When viewed from the aspect of education in
relation to local wisdom, these cultural values
should be an in-depth study material to provide color
in teaching, some experts say that such educational
practices are included in etnopedagogi education
practice.
As stated in Article 6 of Law No. 39 of 1999,
Article 6, paragraph (1), "In order to enforce human
rights, diversity and the needs of the indigenous and
tribal people’s emotion cared for and protected by
law, society and government." They have a strong
relationship with nature, especially land and water.
They treat nature as a source of life that must be
preserved sustainably very well. As Keraf (2010)
says that:
The environmental crisis we are experiencing
today is not only a result of the explosion of
population and the development of technology of
exploitation, but fundamentally rooted in
fundamental-philosophical mistakes in human
perception or perception of itself, nature, and
human place in the whole ecosystem.
From the above explanation can be presented
indicators which is the identity or characteristics of
the awareness of indigenous peoples kuta among
them have special signs of awareness, among others:
 Know and understand with what was said and
performed;
 Bear answer to nature in Kampung Kuta;
 Able receive mandate / education tradition
from grandmother ancestors;
 Know and understand and receive self with
various form advantages and deficiency as
creature God, the individual and social;
 Having readiness in go through life and
understand risk will have faced as
consequences logical from demands life in
society community custom Kuta;
 will always keep balance nature to always
awake ecosystem therein, and spared from
various disaster naturally occurring.
 Utilize and optimizing environment natural
and processed results earth ever be needs
principal for life them.
Figure 2: Thesis Chart of Research Results.
Source: Results of Researcher Processing 2015
Furthermore, with regard with p the above,
according to Alwasilah (2006) Etnopedagogi looked
at knowledge or wisdom local (local knowledge,
local wisdom) as source innovation and skills can
empowered for the welfare community. Wisdom
local is collection facts, concepts, beliefs, and
perception community about world around. This
includes way observe and measure natural around,
finishing problems, and validate information. In
short, wisdom local is the process of how knowledge
produced, stored, applied, maintained, and inherited.
There are several characteristic wisdoms local
namely (1) based on experience, (2) tested after used
centuries, (3) can be adapted with culture now, (4)
solid in practice daily community and institutions,
(5) common do by individual or community on
Overall, (6) shall be dynamic and continue change,
and (7) a very related with system trust.
Empowerment through adaptation knowledge local
this, including reinterpretation values contained in
Indigenous Traditions Kuta in Preserving the Environment to Maintain Nation Character
475

any number proverbs, with condition contemporary
is strategy intelligent for solve social problems
because in many terms of social problems that
sourced on problem local too.
Table 1: Kluckhohn's Framework on Five Basic Problems
in Life which Determines the Orientation of Human
Cultural Values.
Problem Ba
sic in Life
Orientation Value Culture
Itself life
(MH)
Life that bad
Life that good
Life that bad,
but human
required seek
so that that
be good
Itself Works
(MK)
Creation that for
living life
Creation that
for position,
honor, etc.
Creation that
for add
creation
Itself Human
about Time
(MW)
Orientation to
the future
Orientation to
the past
Orientation
to the future
Itself Human
to Nature
(MA)
Human subject
to natural
terrible
Human
attempted keep
harmony with
natural
Human
desire
dominate
natural
Itself
Relationship
between
Human with
Another
(MM)
Orientation
Collateral
(horizontal), a
sense of
dependency on
another (soulless
gotong royong)
Orientation
vertical, sense
of dependence
to figures
superiors and
rank
Individualis
m rate high
business on
power itself
Kuta indigenous peoples own orientation into the
future and the future. In terms of environmental
conservation, people are already thinking about
sustainability for future generations. How to instill
environmental awareness values to keep the
environment well maintained. Because actually
preserving the environment is a value of truth both
in terms of social culture and religion. The people of
Kuta have the right to live as well as other common
people, but in their life these indigenous peoples are
very dependent on nature. And always wise and wise
to nature and the environment because by having
harmony with nature then their life will be lasting. In
addition to respecting nature, indigenous peoples of
Kuta also always respect and respect each other,
because with it will be a useful creature and useful
for the environment.
4 CONCLUSIONS
The process of awareness raising is one of them
through the process of internalization of the value of
traditional education which is continuously carried
out by indigenous peoples of Kuta. People feel that
the values of love and respect for nature are still
very important. With wise and prudent attitude
towards the environment, then all forms of
destruction and natural disasters are minimized by
good ability. So that the future of Indonesia
progressed and developed in accordance with the
development programs planned by the Government
in an effort to conserve the environment.
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