This second part of Water As Taonga illustrates the depth of belief in water as a precious cultural treasure ("taonga"). As guardians ("kaitiaki") of a waterway in Hawks Bay, the McGuire family, members of the Pahutiki Marae, struggle to restore species once abundant in the river. They work to save the eels from extinction and to revive a formerly abundant population of black flounder in the river system.
As with many First Nations, the Maori believe they are kaitiaki (guardians) of the environment. Nature is of utmost importance in their stories and legends. To that end, several Iwi's (families) have taken to undertake tremendous amounts of work in restoring river systems.