The National Council of Khoi Chiefs of South Africa is poised to demand the return of a 2 000-year-old mummified body, found in the Kouga region near Joubertina in the Eastern Cape, at their third annual meeting starting on Friday.
The mummy, found earlier this year by scientists, is being kept under wraps at the Albany Museum in Grahamstown.
Paramount Chief Daniel James Kanyiles said he was leaving Kimberly on Thursday with the Very Reverend JJ Jacobs to establish the truth about the mummy.
Zulu chief Morris Fynn has been invited to the meeting to help the Khoi reclaim the mummy.
Chief Kanyiles said that moves will be made to protect other ancient graves.
"We have lost everything, our land, our culture and now our mummy. The time has come for us to reconstruct our heritage. We cannot allow this to happen."
He said all seven major tribes had been invited to the meeting - Griqua, San, Outiniqua, Cochoqua, Attaqua, Inqua and Namaqua.