CIMAHI - The Cireundeu Village in Cimahi City is known as a Sundanese indigenous community that still makes cassava as a staple food. However, behind this uniqueness, there is a problem that is starting to become urgent. The original indigenous house is no longer left, while the indigenous people do not yet have ulayat land as a common asset.
This was the finding of the West Java Sunda Custom Assembly (MASDA) team when they visited the Cireundeu Custom Village, Leuwigajah Village, South Cimahi District, Cimahi City, June 24, 2026.
Head of the West Java MASDA Team, Inspector General of Police. Purn. Anton Charliyan said Cireundeu has strong cultural values, especially in cassava-based food independence. The tradition of cassava rice or rasi has been carried out by the community since the early 20th century.
"This Cireundeu Custom Village is unique. The community has its own food system based on cassava, but the original custom house is no longer there. This needs serious attention so that it remains sustainable," said Anton Charliyan or commonly known as Abah Anton in a written statement received Saturday, June 27.
According to Abah Anton, the Cireundeu indigenous people have an indigenous area of around 64 hectares. The area consists of settlements, prohibited forests, cover forests, and arable land. However, most of the land is now privately owned.
"The people of Cireundeu have customary territory, but they do not yet have special customary land that belongs to the community. This is an important job in the future," he said.
Cireundeu is inhabited by around 1,500 residents or 360 families. Of that number, around 60 families still hold on to ancestral customs, including not making rice as a staple food.
The Cireundeu community also still maintains the philosophy of Ngindung Ka Waktu, Mibapa Ka Jaman, which is to follow the development of time without abandoning customary values.
Apart from the issues of ulayat land and traditional houses, residents hope to receive support for art tools, productive plant seeds, road repairs, strengthening of cassava-based MSMEs, and a special space for adat education and cultural arts.
The former West Java Police Chief assessed that support was important so that Cireundeu would not only be a cultural visit object, but would remain alive as an indigenous community.
"Preservation of adat is not enough to be remembered. There must be space, land, traditional houses, art, and the economy of the people who are also taken care of," said Abah Anton.
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