Nathan Chasing Horse sentenced to life in prison for sexual assault

Nathan Chasing Horse has been sentenced to life in prison for sexually assaulting Indigenous women and girls.

A Nevada judge gave the Dances With Wolves actor his sentence Monday. A jury had previously convicted him of 13 charges, mostly related to sexual assault. He was accused by three women, including one who was 14 when the assaults began. He was acquitted on some charges.

Accusers and their families told Judge Jessica Peterson they continue to suffer from the trauma caused by Chasing Horse and struggle with their faith after he exploited his position as a spiritual leader.

Chasing Horse, wearing his navy blue Clark county detention center uniform, stared straight ahead as victims read their statements. He denied the charges against him.

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

Other charges in Canada are still pending

The sentencing wraps a years-long effort to prosecute the former actor after he was first arrested and indicted in 2023. That initial arrest reverberated around Indian Country, with law enforcement in other states and Canada following up with more criminal charges. Those charges are still pending.

The British Columbia Prosecution Service said Chasing Horse was charged with sexual assault in February 2023, though the date of the alleged offense took place in September 2018 near Keremeos, a village about four hours east of Vancouver. In November 2023, the case paused due to Chasing Horse’s charges in the United States, but resumed the following year.

After all of Chasing Horse’s appeals have been exhausted, British Columbia prosecutors will assess next steps, Damienne Darby, communications counsel 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 conviction in January. The Tsuut’ina Nation police service said that it is in contact with the Alberta Crown prosecutors office regarding the warrant.

January trial focuses 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. Following his appearance as the 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.

Bianca Pucci, deputy district attorney, told the jury that for almost 20 years, Chasing Horse “spun 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 some charges related to all three.