If you visit the mountains of Indonesia, it is quite common for you to find indigenous villages in almost every National Park. This is because conservation areas are often in or around mountain ecosystems that are guarded by indigenous communities, such as forest, river, and agricultural land.

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That day we planned to visit an indigenous village in West Java. Java is the most densely populated and developed island in Indonesia. Therefore, visiting an indigenous village that still lives in a traditional way on this island can certainly be used as a learning moment. The village is not just like a typical village in the countryside, but one that can tighten our relationship to nature.

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The village is located in the middle of the Mount Halimun Salak National Park. The distance to be covered is approximately 55 km, from the main road of Pelabuhan Ratu. The road is very steep and rocky. We left our car at Pelabuhan Ratu, and rented a local motorbike with a driver, because the route is highly discouraged for four-wheeled vehicles. Even if you have to walk or trekking, the shoes you wear must be trail shoes, otherwise it will be very slippery.

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One by one we passed through village after village. As far as my eyes could see, all that was visible were farms and wilderness. It started to rain very heavily, and we didn't bring ponchos. Our motorbike pulled over and we took shelter in one of the residents' houses. When we stopped we met some dogs; there were so many dogs there. The locals said that dogs are the guardian animals of their village.

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Once the rain subsided, we continued our journey, some corners of the forest were covered in thick fog. The cold was piercing, we had been driving for almost two hours. And the higher we went, the harder the path was for our motorbike to pass. Narrow, slippery, and very rocky.

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It was almost evening by then, and we finally arrived at the village. When we entered the gate, I was very amazed, amazed by the combination of traditional Sundanese houses and leuit buildings that were neatly arranged and aligned. Leuit is a place to store dry rice grains in Sundanese West Javanese Indonesian culture. Combined with the rain mist, the village had a truly down to earth atmosphere.

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We stopped at a stilt house located in the middle of the village. Stilt houses are houses with traditional buildings that are designed to withstand earthquakes. The house is so spacious, it says "Omah Gede". The people said that every visitor who comes to this village must stop by at Omah Gede first, to greet the indigenous community, and vice versa, as a symbol of welcome from the indigenous elders.

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Some men welcomed us so warmly. Native people. They wear similar uniforms, typical of Sundanese culture. Likewise to every visitor, therefore, one of the men offered a “sarong” for me, and a Sundanese headband for my husband. It is mandatory, no bargaining. We accepted it because we were visiting the “Home” of a community, we had to obey all the rules, both verbal and non-verbal.

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A sarong is a skirt-like covering that covers a woman's body from the waist to the ankles. The motifs are also varied, but in Indonesia we call it “Batik.” Likewise with men's headbands, with Batik motifs.

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After we put on all of the traditional clothes, we were invited to enter Omah Gede. Inside Omah Gede there is a very large room that can accommodate up to hundreds of people. We head to the Kitchen next, because every visitor who comes is required to eat the cooking of the women in Omah Gede. The kitchen is no less spacious. Very spacious. I think this is the largest kitchen I have ever visited in my life. However, one more thing that amazed me, besides its spaciousness, was the traditional cooking utensils, stove, fire, pans, firewood, everything.

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We ate traditional cuisine. Delicious. Spice taste, typical of the archipelago. Simple and felt very at one with nature.

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Since it was getting dark, we decided to stay here. However, we were not allowed to stay at Omah Gede. Omah Gede is a place to visit, not to stay overnight. If we have to stay overnight, we can stay at one of the residents' houses. 

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We stayed at a local resident's house not far from Omah Gede. We spent the evenings listening to the locals' stories about how indigenous people live in harmony with Mother Nature and Father Earth; about how they interpret the constellations as the basis of their agricultural life; about how to maintain each other between ecosystems, not killing even pests. And you know, they don't kill and don't use pesticides at all, but they can have food reserves for the next 95 years. The harvest also is only once a year and the community has never experienced crop failure.

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Another interesting thing is that this traditional village has a sacred forest and a river, which is the source of their agricultural life and also their electricity. This traditional village also has hydro and solar power plants! Knowing this, I realized how important the water source is for the traditional village located in the middle of urban civilization and in the middle of the mountains of this National Park. So much is found in the water that flows from the mountains: food sources, agriculture, electricity, and all forms of life. 

After spending time sharing stories with the residents whose houses we were staying in, we went to rest, heading to the guest room provided. The people here say that every house must have a room for the visitors. Even when their village is holding a large-scale traditional ceremony such as “Seren Taun”, it is common for their village to be full of visitors. In fact, often the residents' houses are no longer enough, so guests have to set up tents on the land provided, which does not interfere with the land for their traditional ceremonies.

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The next morning, we were woken up by the loud sound of wood banging on the rice barn. We were very lucky. They said, the rice pounding activity is not held every day, or every week, or even every month. The pounding ceremony was very lively and collaborative and was only carried out by women. We immediately headed to where the activity took place, which was located in the middle of farmland that looked like stairs. 

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For this indigenous community, Paddy is considered very noble, like a woman, like a mother - a source of life. Therefore, in treating Paddy, one must be very careful, like guarding the heart of a woman or mother. Their traditional ceremonies are always related to the process of planting or harvesting Paddy. It is highly revered.

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Paddy is a noble symbol of the traditional village located in this mountain range. Therefore, if you visit Indonesia mountains, whether in Borneo, Sumatra, Bali, Sulawesi, and Java, each island interprets their culture with different types of the sources of life.

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Therefore, the way of life of indigenous people living in mountainous areas or national parks can be one of the basic knowledge in improving trail management or conservation studies. Nature-based solutions from indigenous knowledge can also be used as reference for climate adaptation and mitigation.

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So many things to learn on this beautiful earth, just keep going!

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