LAS VEGAS (AP) — A Nevada judge sentenced “Dances With Wolves” actor Nathan Chasing Horse to life in prison Monday for sexually assaulting Native American women and girls.
or the jury had previously convicted him from 13 charges, mainly related to the sexual assault on three women.
The accusers and their families told Judge Jessica Peterson they continue to suffer from the trauma caused by Chasing Horse, 49, and struggle with their faith after he exploited his position as a spiritual leader.
“There’s no way to get back my youth, the loss of my childhood, my first time, my first kiss, the graduation I never had,” said Corena Leone-LaCroix, who was 14 when Chasing Horse attacked her. “The life that little girl could have lived has been taken away forever.”
The Associated Press typically does not use the name of alleged sexual assault victims unless they come forward, as Leone-LaCroix has.
Chasing Horse, dressed in his navy blue Clark County Detention Center uniform, stared straight ahead as the victims read their statements and remained silent as he was led from the courtroom. He will be eligible for parole after serving 37 years and continuing to deny the charges against him.
“This is a miscarriage of justice,” he told the judge on Monday.
Peterson said she was struck by his continued denial of the charges despite the evidence presented at trial.
“You preyed on these women’s beliefs and their spirituality and manipulated them for your own personal satisfaction,” she said before handing down his sentence. When the hearing adjourned, more than a dozen people in the courtroom applauded.
Other charges in Canada are still pending
The sentence ends a years-long effort to prosecute the former actor after he was the first arrested and indicted in 2023. That initial arrest reverberated across Indian Country, with law enforcement in other states and Canada pursuing more criminal charges. Those charges are still pending.
British Columbia’s Prosecution Service said Chasing Horse was charged with sexual assault in February 2023, although the date of the alleged offense occurred in September 2018 near Keremeo, a village about four hours east of Vancouver. In November 2023, the case was discontinued due to the Chasing Horse allegations in the United States, but resumed the following year.
After all Chasing Horse appeals have been exhausted, British Columbia prosecutors will evaluate next steps, Damienne Darby, communications adviser for the British Columbia Prosecution Service, said in an email.
A warrant against Chasing Horse remains outstanding in Alberta, the Tsuut’ina Nation Police Service in Alberta said in a statement following Chasing Horse’s sentencing in January. The Tsuut’ina Nation Police Service said it is in contact with the Alberta Crown Prosecutor’s Office about the arrest warrant.
The January trial focused on his role as spiritual leader
Chasing Horse was born on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, which is home to the Sicangu Sioux, one of the seven tribes of the Lakota Nation. After his appearance as young Sioux tribe member Smiles a Lot in Kevin Costner’s Oscar-winning film Dances With Wolves, Chasing Horse traveled across Indian country to attend powwows and perform healing ceremonies.
During his trial, Nevada prosecutors said Chasing Horse used his reputation as a Lakota medicine man to prey on indigenous women and girls.
Deputy District Attorney Bianca Pucci told the jury that for nearly 20 years, Chasing Horse “created a web of abuse” that ensnared many women.
Jurors heard from three women who said Chasing Horse sexually assaulted them. The jury returned guilty verdicts on several charges. He was released from the others.
Need medical help
Numerous victims described how they attended his ceremonies or went to Chasing Horse for medical help.
Chasing Horse allegedly told Leone-LaCroix when she was 14 that the spirits wanted her to give up her virginity to save her mother, who was diagnosed with cancer. He then sexually assaulted her and told her that if she told anyone, her mother would die, according to Pucci. The sexual assaults continued for years, Pucci said.
Chasing Horse denied the allegations and his lawyer questioned the credibility of the main accuser, calling her a “despicable woman”. His attorney had filed a motion for a new trial, arguing that a witness was not qualified to speak about the arrangement and that the statute of limitations had expired. This motion was denied.
Victims and their family members testified that they struggle with their faith as a result of Chasing Horse’s actions. The victims’ mothers said Chasing Horse betrayed their faith and abused sacred traditions.
“To this day I struggle to regain my faith and my spirituality,” said Lynnette Adams, the mother of Siera Begaye, one of the other victims.
The AP typically does not use the name of alleged sexual assault victims unless they come forward publicly or approve the use of their names, as Begaye did.
Begaye said she still faces complications after suffering an ectopic pregnancy as a result of the attack and was forced to undergo surgery.
“I’m choosing to see this moment as a new beginning,” Begaye said. “I will rebuild my life, reclaim my voice and continue to fight for the future I deserve.”
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By JESSICA HILL Associated Press
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