Te Papa Museum is planning to bring home hundreds more Maori remains from overseas institutions next year - the majority from Europe.
The national museum has been dealing with curators and private collectors who are happy to repatriate tupuna (ancestors) to traditional owners in Aotearoa.
Te Papa's Karanga Aotearoa Repatriation Team Manager, Te Herekiekie Herewini, says since a high profile repatriation project from France earlier this year other museums have been following suit, and have been in contact with the museum.
He says more tupuna will arrive home next year and in the decade ahead.
Mr Herewini says Te Papa will be in consultation with five to 10 museums over the next 24 months.
He says there are still 500 sets of remains overseas that the museum knows of.
