Dances with Wolves actor Nathan Chasing Horse has been sentenced to life in prison by a Nebraska judge for sexually assaulting Native American women and girls, according to the Associated Press.
A jury had previously convicted him on 13 charges, most of them related to the sexual assaults of three women.
The accuser and his family told Judge Jessica Peterson that they continue to suffer from the trauma caused by Chasing Horse and that they feel he has abused his position as a spiritual leader, causing them to struggle with their faith. He is believed to have been the leader of a cult called The Circle.
Corena Leone-Lacroix, who was 14 years old when Chasing Horse assaulted her, said: “There is no way to get back your youth, your childhood, your first moments, your first kiss, your missed graduation.” “The life that that girl could have lived was taken away from me forever.”
The Associated Press has made it clear that, like Leone-Lacroix, it will not publish the names of alleged sexual assault victims unless they come forward publicly.
Chasing Horse, who continues to deny the charges, reportedly remained silent during his sentencing and will be eligible for parole after serving 37 years.
“You preyed on the trust and spirituality of these women and manipulated them for your own personal gratification,” Judge Peterson said before announcing his sentence.
The former actor was first arrested and charged in 2023. The first arrest was made in Las Vegas, and law enforcement agencies in other states and Canada filed additional criminal charges. Charges are still pending, and Chasing Horse also has an outstanding warrant against him in Alberta.
Chasing Horse was born in South Dakota and rose to fame playing the young Sioux man Smiles-A-Lot in Kevin Costner’s Oscar-winning film Dances with Wolves. After its appearance, Chasing Horse traveled throughout Indian Country attending powwows and performing healing ceremonies.
Multiple victims described how his reputation as a Lakota shaman led them to attend his rituals or go to Chasing Horse for medical assistance.
Chasing Horse is said to have told Leone Lacroix when she was 14 that a spirit wanted her to lose her virginity to save her mother, who had been diagnosed with cancer. Deputy District Attorney Bianca Pucci said the man then sexually assaulted her and told her her mother would die if she told anyone. Pucci said the sexual assaults continued for years.
Chasing Horse denied the charges and his motion for a new trial was denied.
One of the other victims, Sierra Begay, said she was still facing complications after suffering an ectopic pregnancy as a result of the assault, which required surgery.
“I decided to take this moment as a new start,” Begay said. “I will continue to rebuild my life, reclaim my voice, and fight for the future I deserve.”
