Nathan Chasing Horse, the former actor best known for his role in the Oscar-winning film Dances With Wolves, has been sentenced to at least 37 years in prison for sexually assaulting Indigenous women and girls. The 49-year-old, who also went by Nathan Lee Chasing His Horse, was convicted on 13 charges related to the abuse of three women, one of whom was just 14 when the assaults began.
During the sentencing in a Nevada court, Judge Jessica Peterson condemned Chasing Horse for exploiting his position as a spiritual leader. "You manipulated them for your own personal gratification," she stated, highlighting how he preyed on the victims' spirituality.
Chasing Horse had built a reputation as a medicine man among Indigenous tribes across the United States and Canada. His victims, along with their families, testified that he used his influence to gain access to vulnerable individuals, often at ceremonies or while providing what he claimed was medical help.
One of the victims, Corena Leone-LaCroix, who was 14 when the abuse started, spoke publicly about the lifelong impact. "There is no way to get back the youth, the childhood loss, my first time, my first kiss, the graduation I never got to have," she said. "The life that little girl could have lived has been taken from me forever."
Prosecutors described Chasing Horse as having "spun a web of abuse" over nearly two decades. Deputy District Attorney Bianca Pucci told the jury that he had manipulated Leone-LaCroix into believing that spirits required her to sacrifice her virginity to save her mother from cancer.
Chasing Horse denied all allegations but was found guilty on 13 of the 21 charges he faced. He will become eligible for parole after serving 37 years.
If you or someone you know has been affected by issues raised in this story, support is available through organizations listed at the BBC ActionLine.