| Summary: | The subject of this study is Sukur Bumi. It discusses power relation spreading
in its reproduction and reconstruction form. The study is conducted on empirical data
in tune with its inductive research. The method and theory are determined based on
the practice. Sukur Bumi is a sacred ritual activity conducted by Rancakalong
community as a gratitude expression for the harvest. The reproduction of Sukur Bumi
is a ritual of progenitor�s inheritance done by the community hereditarily, while the
reconstruction is a ritual reconstructed by the government with the community.
The study on the reproduction symbols of Sukur Bumi uses structuralhermeneutic
analysis. Meanwhile, discourse analysis is used to study the practice of
Sukur Bumi in a reconstruction form. The whole study is conducted on the matters of
power relations in the practice of reproduction and reconstruction of Sukur Bumi.
The structural hermeneutic study on the ritual of ngalaksa, ngabubur, and the
ritual as well as tarawangsa performance, shows that Sukur Bumi is the progenitor�s
inheritance of Sunda Lama. The result of the analysis reveals �the structure of three�
which is the embodiment of Tritangtu Sunda concept. Meaning that, the one is three,
and the tree is one. This concept clarifies the Sunda Lama ways of thinking in
signifying life, that, this life is the unification of three different elements. Tritangtu
also indicates a concept that Sunda power is distributed into three, meaning that the
power is not centralized, since �the owner� of the power is not functioned as �the
executor� or �the one running the order�.
The reconstruction model of Sukur Bumi is the changing form of the
execution of the ritual, although the changing is on the surface level. However, this
condition becomes a strategic sphere for the government in constructing its political
economy discourse. The discourse has relation with tourism matters so that there is
an emergence of commodification which position Sukur Bumi as a cultural asset
having selling values. Besides, it also has relation with the construction of
governmental power toward the people. The resistance of the community on the
ritual performance is that it can only be conducted by the community not by any
other parties. Meanwhile, the tourism field can be signified by the society as social
interaction sphere, which contributes to promote creative ideas for developing and
conserving cultural values.
Power is not understood as hierarchical or centralized relation, but
distributed. The power relation between the progenitor and the society
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