Controversies
This reservation has allegedly become a center for smuggling of many items, including liquor, cigarettes and drugs. Federal agencies of the United States and Canada and those of the New York State government are collaborating to stop this activity. These allegations have been hotly contested by Akwesasne police and government spokespersons. The chief of the Akwesasne Mohawk police has suggested that Akwesasne has been singled out for criticism when the smuggling problems stretch across the entire US-Canada border.
New York state has threatened to collect sales tax from sales of gasoline and cigarettes on the reservations but has not done so. The legislature often passes such a resolution. New York state citizens fail to report their applicable Use Taxes; this has become a problem both here and at areas surrounding other Indian reservations across New York. Merchants near the reservations complain that the tax-free sales constitute an unfair advantage for Indian-owned businesses. People on the reservation tend to respond that this is the only advantage they have. While the government officials argue, a Zogby poll in 2006 showed that 79% of New York residents did not think sales taxes should be collected from reservation sales.
Read more about this topic: St. Regis Mohawk Reservation