Teron Sazue (Sioux): Helping The Elders And The Youth At Crow Creek Tribal School

By Dan Ninham (Oneida)

The All Nations Football Conference is a 9-man league formed by eight tribal schools in South Dakota. The conference’s mission is to provide a positive football experience for tribal school athletes. Rather than being outsized and outmatched by public school competition, the conference strives to compete with opponents of equal size and match. The semi-finals will be held at the top seeds of each division on November 1st with the championship game being played at the DakotaDome on November 8, 2019 in Vermilion.

Select players from each of the four semi-final teams will be featured this week in a story with ndnsports.com.

Teron Sazure is a 6-3, 240 lb. senior tight end and linebacker for Crow Creek Tribal School, Crow Creek, South Dakota. The #1 seeded East Division Crow Creek Chieftains will be hosting the #2 West Division Little Wound Mustangs in the semi-finals of the inaugural All Nations Football Conference this Friday, November 1, 2019.

“I am from the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe,” said Teron Sazure. “My parents are Maria Kirkie (Provost) of Stephan, SD and Elijah Sazue, of Fort Thompson, SD and both are Crow Creek Sioux.

Teron is a 2019 First Team East All Nations All-Conference member. “I enjoy being physical, getting team motivated, being a vocal leader, a workhorse, and doing what it takes to win,” said Teron.

“My tribal core values plays along with who I am as a student athlete,” said Teron. “I try my best to help others succeed. If I see someone having a bad day I try my best and cheer them up or try and talk to them about what’s been bothering them. I respect people regardless of who they are or what kind of past we have. I always try my best to help the elders with something so little like holding a door for them or holding their groceries. The youth are very important to me because they’re our future of this community so I try and give advice to kids and point out why they should or shouldn’t be doing things, basically teaching them right from wrong.” 

“I plan on going to college to get a degree in Physical Therapy or Coaching,” said Teron. “Athletics help me by realizing how important it is to keep your body healthy physically and mentally so that’s why I want to major in those two fields. Athletics will help me get into a good school.”

“My family, Austin “Coop” Kirkie, Maria Kirkie, Kory Provost, Jess Keckler, Frankie Rousseau, Jordan Kirkie, Myra Isburg all influence me to be the best as I can be, to be on top of schooling before sports,” said Teron. “They give me the motivation to be the best.” 

“I’ve always wanted to come to Crow Creek but never got the chance to due to my parents moving for jobs,” said Teron. “I’ve spent most of my high school years at White River which is a good school with good people. Me and my mom always wanted to move back home so this past summer my mom got the chance to work at the school so this past summer we moved home. We’re happy and my family is still adapting but we love it here. Nothing gets better than moving home!”