Career
Ted became very involved in the Sicangu Lakota community through his participation in the Lakota Treaty Council and membership in the Grey Eagle Society. Because of his involvement in the community, Ted Thin Elk was awarded the title of chief At the age of 72 Ted was casted in his first role as Grandpa Sam Reaches in the film Thunderheart.
Ted continued his acting career by participating in two more films, The Broken Chain and Walking Thunder, and a television mini-series, Heaven and Hell: North and South,Book III, before passing away in 1997.