▁tax ▁For ▁dec ades ▁New ▁York ▁state ▁has ▁threatened ▁to ▁collect ▁sales ▁tax ▁from ▁sales ▁of ▁gas oline ▁and ▁c igare tt es ▁on ▁Native ▁American ▁res erv ations ▁but ▁has ▁not ▁done ▁so . ▁ ▁The ▁legisl ature ▁often ▁passes ▁such ▁a ▁resolution ▁but ▁the ▁feder ally ▁recognized ▁tribe ▁says ▁that ▁it ▁has ▁so ver eign ▁authority ▁on ▁its ▁res ervation ▁and ▁does ▁not ▁need ▁to ▁collect ▁the ▁state ▁tax . ▁New ▁York ▁citizens ▁fail ▁to ▁report ▁their ▁applicable ▁use ▁tax es ; ▁this ▁has ▁become ▁a ▁problem ▁both ▁here ▁and ▁at ▁areas ▁surrounding ▁other ▁Indian ▁res erv ations ▁across ▁New ▁York . ▁Mer ch ants ▁near ▁the ▁res erv ations ▁comp lain ▁that ▁the ▁tax - free ▁sales ▁const itute ▁an ▁unf air ▁advantage ▁for ▁Native ▁American - owned ▁business es . ▁The ▁Moh awk ▁frequently ▁respond ▁that ▁this ▁is ▁their ▁only ▁advantage , ▁as ▁they ▁have ▁suffered ▁from ▁centuries ▁of ▁disc rim ination ▁and ▁being ▁dispos s essed ▁of ▁their ▁land . ▁ ▁While ▁the ▁government ▁officials ▁argue , ▁a ▁Z og by ▁poll ▁commission ed ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁by ▁the ▁Sen eca ▁Nation ▁of ▁New ▁York , ▁also ▁I ro qu ois ▁and ▁al lies ▁of ▁the ▁Moh awk , ▁showed ▁that ▁ 7 9 % ▁of ▁New ▁York ▁residents ▁did ▁not ▁think ▁sales ▁tax es ▁should ▁be ▁collected ▁from ▁res ervation ▁sales . ▁ ▁In ▁popular ▁culture ▁ ▁The ▁res ervation ▁is ▁the ▁setting ▁for ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁movie ▁Fro zen ▁River