Identity Performance and Self-Mythology in Poukahangatus

The Thematic Claim in Poukahangatus: Identity as Deliberate Construction and Resistance to Colonial Definition — A Study Companion for Tayi Tibble's 2022 Poetry Collection. This guide traces how the speaker performs and reinvents herself using pop culture, consumer goods, and family stories to build a self that refuses colonial definitions. It is designed for students and readers who want to move beyond surface readings and engage with the collection's central tension: identity as both a survival strategy and a site of contradiction. For a full overview, see the book home page.