LAS VEGAS (AP) — Nathan Chasing Horse was sentenced to life in prison for sexually assaulting Native American women and girls.
A Nevada judge sentenced the “Dances with Wolves” actor on Monday. A jury had previously convicted him on 13 charges, mostly related to sexual assault. He was accused by three women, including one who was 14 years old when the assault began. He was acquitted of several charges.
The accusers and their families told Judge Jessica Peterson that they continue to suffer from trauma caused by Chasing Horse’s abuse of his position as spiritual leader and are struggling with their faith.
Chasing Horse, wearing a navy blue Clark County Detention Center uniform, stared directly at the victim as he read her statement. He denied the charges against him.
“This is a miscarriage of justice,” he told the judge Monday.
Other charges in Canada are still pending
The ruling ends years of prosecution efforts since the former actor was first arrested and charged in 2023. This initial arrest reverberated throughout Indian Country, and law enforcement agencies in other states and Canada followed up with additional criminal charges. These charges are still pending.
The British Columbia Provincial Prosecution Service announced that Chasing Horse was charged with sexual assault in February 2023, but the crime occurred in September 2018 near the village of Keremeos, about four hours east of Vancouver. In November 2023, the case was paused due to Chasing Horse’s charges in the United States, but it resumed the following year.
Damien Darby, public relations adviser for the British Columbia Prosecution Service, said in an email that the British Columbia Prosecution Service will consider its next steps after all of Chasing Horse’s appeals are completed.
Alberta’s Tsuutina Nation Police said in a statement after Chasing Horse’s conviction in January that warrants against Chasing Horse remain outstanding in Alberta. Tsuutina Nation Police said they are in contact with the Alberta Provincial Attorney’s Office regarding the warrant.
Trial in January will focus on role as spiritual leader
The Chasing Horse was born on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, home to the Sichang Sioux Tribe, one of the seven Lakota tribes. After appearing as Smiles-A-Lot, a young member of the Sioux tribe, in Kevin Costner’s Oscar-winning film Dances with Wolves, Chasing Horse traveled throughout Indian Country attending powwows and performing healing ceremonies.
Nevada prosecutors said during the trial that Chasing Horse used his reputation as a Lakota shaman to prey on Native American women and girls.
Deputy District Attorney Bianca Pucci told the jury that Chasing Horse had “spread a web of abuse” and ensnared many women for nearly two decades.
Jurors heard testimony from three women who said they were sexually assaulted by Chasing Horse. The jury returned guilty verdicts on several charges related to all three cases.
Multiple victims described how they attended his ceremonies and went to Chasing Horse for medical help.
One of the victims, Corena Leone-Lacroix, was 14 years old in 2012. Chasing Horse is said to have told her that a spirit wanted her to give up her virginity to save her mother, who had been diagnosed with cancer. 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. The Associated Press typically does not publish the names of sexual assault victims unless they come forward publicly, as Leone-Lacroix did.
Ms Chasing Horse denies the charges, and her lawyer has questioned the credibility of her main accuser, calling her a “scorned woman”. His lawyer had filed a motion for a new trial, arguing that the witness was not qualified to speak about the grooming and that the statute of limitations had passed. The motion was defeated.
Victims and their families testified that they are struggling with their faith due to Chasing Horse’s actions. Victims’ mothers said Chasing Horse betrayed their trust and abused a sacred tradition.
The victim’s mother said, “I am still struggling to regain my faith and spirituality.”
One of the victims said she was still facing complications after suffering an ectopic pregnancy as a result of the assault, which required surgery.
“I have decided to take this moment as a new start. I will rebuild my life, regain my voice, and continue to fight for the future I deserve,” one of the victims said.
Dr. Crystal Lee, founder and CEO of United Natives, an organization that provides services to victims of sexual abuse, said she hopes the ruling brings relief to victims. Lee said the Chasing Horse case shows the importance of holding known perpetrators accountable and believing that victims are involved.
Chasing Horse, like other religious leaders who abuse their power, used his status as an actor and shaman to prey on his victims, Lee said.
“I think it makes us question who we trust and why,” Lee said.
