Dances With Wolves actor sentenced to life in prison
Dances With Wolves actor Nathan Chasing Horse has been sentenced to life in prison for sexually assaulting indigenous women and girls.
A Nevada judge sentenced the American actor on Monday.
The jury had previously found him guilty of 13 charges, mostly related to sexual assault. He was accused by three women, one of whom was 14 years old when the attacks began. He was acquitted of some charges.
The 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 stared straight ahead as he read the victims’ statements. He denied the accusations against him.
“This is a miscarriage of justice,” he told the judge on Monday.
The decision caps a years-long prosecution effort after the former actor was first arrested and indicted in 2023. This initial arrest reverberated throughout Indian Country, with law enforcement in other states and Canada subsequently filing more criminal charges. These charges are still pending.
The British Columbia Prosecution Service said Chasing Horse was charged with sexual assault in February 2023, but the alleged offense was dated in September 2018 near Keremeos, a village about four hours east of Vancouver. In November 2023, the trial was paused due to Chasing Horse’s charges in the United States, but resumed the following year.
Once all of Chasing Horse’s appeals are exhausted, British Columbia prosecutors will consider next steps, said Damienne Darby, communications advisor for the British Columbia Prosecution Service.
The Tsuut’ina National Police Service in Alberta said in a statement following Chasing Horse’s conviction in January that an arrest warrant against Chasing Horse remains outstanding in Alberta. Tsuut’ina National Police Service said it is in contact with the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service regarding the arrest warrant.
Chasing Horse was born on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, home of the Sicangu Sioux, one of the seven tribes of the Lakota nation. Following his role as young Sioux tribesman Smiles a Lot in Kevin Costner’s Oscar-winning film Dances With Wolves, Chasing Horse traveled throughout Indian Country attending meetings and performing healing ceremonies.
During his trial, Nevada prosecutors said Chasing Horse used his fame as a Lakota healer to prey on native women and girls.
Deputy District Attorney Bianca Pucci told the jury that Chasing Horse “weaved a web of abuse” that ensnared many women for almost 20 years.
Jurors heard from three women who said Chasing Horse sexually assaulted them. The jury returned guilty verdicts on some charges against the three.
Chasing Horse has denied the allegations and its lawyers have questioned the credibility of the main accuser, calling her a “scorned woman”.
His lawyer had requested a new trial, arguing that the witness was not authorized to speak about the grooming issue and that the statute of limitations had expired. This motion was rejected.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Resolution Support Service 1800 211 028
