The Ongoing Battle Over Native Cigarette Sales

For decades, the relationship between the state and Native American tribes have been strained, to say the least.

In 1997, Governor Pataki’s attempts to collect taxes on cigarette sales and gasoline led to protests, with members of the Seneca Nation setting fire to tires and shutting down the Thruway. In recent years, both Governor Spitzer and Paterson have also stepped up efforts to collect these taxes – only to be blocked by the courts.

This year, Governor Cuomo has said he plans to continue talks over this contentious issue, and earlier this week his aides sat down for the first time with the president of the Seneca Nation, Robert Odawi Porter to address this issue, among others.