An ugly saga which has captured the party for months has now led to a formal split, with first-term MPs Mariameno Kapa-Kingi and Takuta Ferris expelled by a vote of its national council.
The Maori Party are a vocal left-wing minority party reborn in recent years, and responsible for bolstering some of New Zealand's biggest mass protests against the right-wing coalition government.
Last year, its MPs made worldwide headlines for a haka inside parliament in opposition to a government bill.
However, the six-strong caucus have now splintered over allegations of financial mismanagement by Ms Kapa-Kingi and a racism spat fuelled by Mr Ferris' social media posts.
The party was also rocked by the death of sitting MP Takutai Tarsh Kemp in June.
Ms Kapa-Kingi is alleged to overspent her parliamentary budget, while Mr Ferris was rebuked for attacking Labour's non-Maori volunteers during a September by-election for Ms Kemp's seat.
Already estranged from co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, as well as president John Tamihere, who had called for them to do "the honourable thing" and resign, the pair dug in until their expulsion.
"Electorates and branches debated at length. We met with members beyond our party. We engaged with (Maori leaders) ... and we pursued external mediation," Mr Waititi said.
"Irreconcilable differences remained."
The pair are reportedly appealing the decision, but the schism is plain, with Ms Kapa-Kingi and Mr Ferris to become independent MPs representing the northern tip of North Island, and the South Island and central Wellington.
How they respond will shape the 2026 campaign.
Polling indicates Chris Luxon's coalition government is on the verge of becoming the first one-term government in half a century.
Kiwi politics has splintered into two blocs, including the three parties of government - Mr Luxon's centre-right National party, the far-right ACT party and the populist NZ First - on the right.
On the left is NZ Labour, the Greens and the Maori Party, which has shifted to the left after offering support to John Key's National-led government in 2008-2017.
To return to office, Labour is highly likely to need the support from the minor parties, and any independents or new party that comes from the split.
Corralling those forces is likely to be no easy task - especially given the personal animosities - and has allowed Mr Luxon to link the Labour party to their chaos.
"I don't think Te Pati Maori are a serious outfit. I think they are activists. I think they're performative ... I won't be working with them but the guy that does is Chris Hipkins," Mr Luxon said last week.
Alternatively, the dysfunction may also drive votes from the Maori Party to Labour.
Acting Radio NZ political editor Craig McCulloch said the split would be politically disenfranchising for Maori Party voters.
"It's terrible for the party and terrible for their supporters, it forces them to pick their team," Mr McCulloch said.
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