Actor Nathan Chasing Horse has been sentenced to life in prison for sexually assaulting Indigenous women and girls.
A Nevada judge sentenced the Dances With Wolves actor on Monday after a jury previously convicted him of 13 charges, mostly related to the sexual assault of three women. He was acquitted on some charges.
Chasing Horse, 49, will be eligible for parole after serving 37 years.
Accusers and their families told Judge Jessica Peterson that 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 a navy blue Clark County Detention Centre 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.
The sentencing concludes a yearslong effort to prosecute the former actor after he was first arrested and indicted in 2023.
His initial arrest reverberated around Indian Country, with law enforcement in other US 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 alleged offence took place in September 2018 near Keremeos, a village about four hours east of Vancouver.
In November 2023, the case was paused because of Chasing Horse's charges in the United States, but resumed the following year.
After 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 his conviction in January.
The Tsuut’ina Nation Police Service said it is in contact with the Alberta Crown Prosecutors Office regarding the warrant.
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 travelled 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 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.
Multiple victims described how they participated in his ceremonies or went to Chasing Horse for medical help.
Corena Leone-LaCroix, one of the victims, was 14 in 2012 when Chasing Horse told her the spirits wanted her to give up her virginity to save her mother, who had been diagnosed with cancer.
He then sexually assaulted her and told her that if she told anyone, her mother would die, according to Ms Pucci. The sexual assaults continued for years, Ms Pucci said.
The Associated Press typically does not use the names of alleged sexual assault victims unless they come forward publicly, as Leone-LaCroix has.
Chasing Horse denied the allegations and his lawyer questioned the main accuser’s credibility, calling her a "scorned woman".
His lawyer had filed a motion for a new trial, arguing that a witness was not qualified to talk about grooming and that the statute of limitations had expired. That motion was denied.
Victims and their family members testified that they struggle with their faith as a result of Chasing Horse’s actions. The mothers of the victims said Chasing Horse betrayed their trust and abused sacred traditions.
"Even to this day I struggle to regain my faith and spirituality," a victim’s mother said.
One victim said she still faces complications after suffering an ectopic pregnancy as a result of the assault and being forced to undergo surgery.
"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 offers services to victims of sexual abuse, said she hopes the victims find peace with the sentencing.
Dr Lee said Chasing Horse used his status as an actor and medicine man to prey on victims, similarly to other faith leaders who abuse their power.
"I think it makes us question who we trust and why we trust," Dr Lee said.
Source: Associated Press
