Individual identity is developed in part through our specialized roles in society. This is as true today as it has been across time and cultures. Students will examine two paintings of Mandan individuals to identify ways in which their specialized roles in Mandan society are evidenced. Teachers should help students connect these methods, which include styles of dress, accessories, and artifacts, to similar methods across cultures today so that students come to recognize that social conventions and practices have nurtured and promoted the development of identity throughout history. Students will also be challenged with using their historical thinking skills to evaluate the credibility of the paintings as a historical source.