<![CDATA[This study examines the role of Bustanil Arifin in preserving the history and culture of Minangkabau through the establishment of the Minangkabau Cultural Documentation and Information Center (Pusat Dokumentasi dan Informasi Kebudayaan Minangkabau/PDIKM) in Padang Panjang during the period of 1988–1990. The study was motivated by concerns over the decreasing availability of written documentation on Minangkabau history and culture, as well as the gradual erosion of cultural values due to the dynamics of modernization. PDIKM was established as an institution dedicated to collecting, preserving, and documenting various historical and cultural materials, including archives, photographs, manuscripts, and other cultural collections, so that they could be utilized by the public and future generations. This research aims to identify the background of PDIKM's establishment, analyze Bustanil Arifin's role in its development, and examine the growth of PDIKM as a center for Minangkabau cultural documentation. The research employed the historical research method, which consists of heuristics, source criticism, interpretation, and historiography. Data were collected through library research, documentation, and interviews with local communities and relevant informants. The findings reveal that Bustanil Arifin played a significant role in preserving Minangkabau culture through the establishment of PDIKM. In addition to serving as its founder, he actively contributed to the collection of various cultural materials, including books, photographs, microfilms, traditional musical instruments, and historical archives. Furthermore, the PDIKM building, designed in the architectural style of the traditional Rumah Gadang, serves as a symbolic representation of Minangkabau cultural identity. To this day, PDIKM continues to function as a cultural information center, an educational facility, a historical research resource, and a cultural tourism destination in Padang Panjang.]]>
