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Thao's description from the exhibit: Laos was already under control of the French. The French needed money to run their colony. Opium was a great cash crop for the French. Since the Hmong lived on land that was good for cultivating opium, they were encouraged to grow as much opium as possible. When collecting taxes the French preferred opium to cash. |
(#14, 2001, oil on canvas, Copyright Cy Thao, courtesy The Minneapolis Institute of Arts)
