A Nevada judge sentenced “Dances With Wolves” actor Nathan Chasing Horse to life in prison for sexually assaulting Indigenous women and girls, while related cases in Canada remain pending.
LAS VEGAS — Nathan Chasing Horse, an actor from “Dances With Wolves” who was also known as a spiritual figure in Indigenous communities, was sentenced to life in prison in Nevada for sexually assaulting Indigenous women and girls.
The life sentence. imposed by Judge Jessica Peterson. came after a jury convicted Chasing Horse of 13 charges tied mainly to assaults of three women.. Court statements described how victims say his authority and spiritual standing were used to break down trust. with families telling the judge that the harm has lingered long after the courtroom closed.
As the sentencing hearing unfolded, victims read statements in court about trauma that reshaped their childhoods.. Corena Leone-LaCroix. who was 14 at the time of the abuse. said her “first time” and “first kiss” were stolen. and that the life she believes she should have lived is permanently altered.. Chasing Horse, dressed in his Clark County Detention Center uniform, remained quiet as he was escorted out after the verdict.
Peterson said she was troubled by what she viewed as Chasing Horse’s continued denial. even after evidence presented during trial.. She described a pattern in which. according to the court. he preyed on women’s trust and spirituality for personal gratification. using the role of a medicine man to obtain access to victims.. When the hearing adjourned, more than a dozen people in the courtroom clapped.
For many families. the sentencing is not the end of the story but a turning point that confirms what they said they lived through.. Across the country. legal outcomes in cases involving sexual abuse in spiritual or community settings can carry a particular weight: victims often say they were not only harmed physically. but also burdened with doubt. silence. and pressure to interpret what happened through faith.
That pressure surfaced repeatedly in testimony.. Several victims and family members told the court they continue to struggle with belief and spiritual identity after what they described as betrayal of sacred traditions.. Lynnette Adams, the mother of Siera Begaye, described ongoing difficulty in regaining faith and spirituality following the abuse.
The case also illustrates how prosecutions can stretch across years and borders.. Chasing Horse was first arrested and indicted in 2023, a move that drew attention well beyond Nevada.. While the Nevada sentencing now resolves one major chapter, other criminal charges linked to allegations in Canada remain pending.
In British Columbia. prosecutors said Chasing Horse was charged with sexual assault in February 2023. tied to an alleged offense in September 2018 near Keremeos. a village about four hours east of Vancouver.. The case paused in November 2023 due to the U.S.. proceedings, then resumed the following year.. With appeals exhausted in the Nevada case, British Columbia prosecutors will assess next steps.
Outside British Columbia, a warrant remains outstanding in Alberta.. The Tsuut’ina Nation Police Service said it is in contact with Alberta Crown Prosecutors regarding the warrant.. For victims and families, that could mean continued uncertainty—yet also the possibility that legal accountability extends beyond one courtroom.
During the Nevada trial. prosecutors presented a narrative that Chasing Horse used his reputation to exploit Indigenous women and girls over nearly two decades.. Jurors heard from three women who said he sexually assaulted them. and while the jury returned guilty verdicts on some counts. he was acquitted on others.. Prosecutors also described victims reaching out to him for ceremonies and medical help. with the defense disputing core parts of the allegations.
Chasing Horse’s background adds another layer to how communities have processed the case.. Born on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota. home to the Sicangu Sioux. he became widely recognized after appearing in “Dances With Wolves” as a young tribe member.. After that exposure. prosecutors said he traveled across Indian Country for powwows and healing ceremonies—an account that. in the court’s telling. became the mechanism for access.
At sentencing, Chasing Horse denied the charges and called it what he described as a miscarriage of justice.. He will be eligible for parole after serving 37 years.. Even with the sentence now set. related cases in Canada suggest that the legal aftermath—along with the emotional one—will continue for some time.
For the broader public. this case raises difficult questions about accountability when authority is tied to spirituality. identity. and community trust.. It also serves as a reminder that sexual abuse can persist in silence for years. and that proving it often demands persistence from survivors. prosecutors. and families willing to face the long process of trial.. As additional proceedings move forward in Canada. the central issue is the same: whether justice can arrive in a way that victims say reflects the harm they have already endured—and whether communities can rebuild safety after faith has been weaponized.