Nathan Chasing Horse sentenced to life in prison in Nevada case

Nathan Chasing Horse, once known for his role in Dances With Wolves, has been sentenced to life in prison for sexually assaulting Indigenous women and girls.

A Nevada judge handed down the sentence on Monday, after a jury had earlier found him guilty on 13 counts, most tied to the sexual assault of three women. Jurors cleared him on several other charges.

Chasing Horse, 49, will become eligible for parole after 37 years behind bars.

In court, accusers and relatives told Judge Jessica Peterson they are still living with the damage caused by Chasing Horse, saying his abuse of authority as a spiritual leader left lasting trauma and shook their faith.

“This is a miscarriage of justice,” he told the judge.

The sentencing marks the end of a yearslong push to hold the former actor criminally accountable after his arrest and indictment in 2023.

That arrest sent ripples through Indian Country, prompting law enforcement agencies in other US states and in Canada to pursue additional criminal cases. Those matters remain unresolved.

Nathan Chasing Horse leaving the courtroom after a jury found him guilty of sexual assault in January

The British Columbia Prosecution Service said Chasing Horse was charged with sexual assault in February 2023, although the alleged offence dates to September 2018 near Keremeos, a village roughly four hours east of Vancouver.

In November 2023, that case was put on hold because of the charges he faced in the United States, then restarted the next year.

Once Chasing Horse has exhausted his appeals, prosecutors in British Columbia will determine how to proceed, Damienne Darby, communications counsel for the British Columbia Prosecution Service, said in an email.

An arrest warrant for Chasing Horse also remains active in Alberta, the Tsuut’ina Nation Police Service in Alberta said in a statement issued after his conviction in January.

The Tsuut’ina Nation Police Service said it has been in contact with the Alberta Crown Prosecutors Office about the warrant.

Chasing Horse was born on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, home to the Sicangu Sioux, one of the seven tribes of the Lakota nation.

After appearing as the young Sioux tribe member Smiles a Lot in Kevin Costner’s Oscar-winning Dances With Wolves, Chasing Horse travelled throughout Indian Country, attending powwows and conducting healing ceremonies.

At trial, Nevada prosecutors argued that Chasing Horse turned his standing as a Lakota medicine man into a tool for targeting Indigenous women and girls.

Deputy District Attorney Bianca Pucci told jurors that over nearly two decades, Chasing Horse had “spun a web of abuse” that trapped numerous women.

Jurors heard testimony from three women who said Chasing Horse sexually assaulted them. The panel convicted him on some counts involving each of the three.

Several victims described taking part in his ceremonies or seeking him out for medical assistance.

Corena Leone-LaCroix, one of the victims, was 14 in 2012 when Chasing Horse told her that spirits wanted her to surrender her virginity to save her mother, who had been diagnosed with cancer.

He then sexually assaulted her and warned that if she told anyone, her mother would die, according to Ms Pucci. The abuse continued for years, Ms Pucci said.

The Associated Press typically does not identify alleged sexual assault victims unless they have spoken publicly, as Leone-LaCroix has.

Chasing Horse denied the accusations, while his attorney challenged the credibility of the main accuser and described her as a “scorned woman”.

His lawyer had sought a new trial, arguing that a witness was not qualified to testify about grooming and that the statute of limitations had run out. The judge denied that request.

Victims and members of their families testified that Chasing Horse’s actions left them struggling with their faith. The victims’ mothers said he had violated their trust and misused sacred traditions.

“Even to this day I struggle to regain my faith and spirituality,” a victim’s mother said.

One victim said she continues to deal with complications after an ectopic pregnancy caused by the assault and surgery she was forced to undergo.

“I am choosing to see this moment as a fresh start. I will rebuild my life, reclaim my voice and continue fighting for the future I deserve,” one victim said.

Dr Crystal Lee, chief executive and founder of United Natives, an organisation that provides services to victims of sexual abuse, said she hopes the sentencing brings the victims some peace.

Dr Lee said Chasing Horse exploited his stature as both an actor and a medicine man in much the same way other faith leaders have abused positions of power.

“I think it makes us question who we trust and why we trust,” Dr Lee said.

Source: Associated Press