A Nevada judge sentenced Nathan Chasing Horse, best known for his role in Kevin Costner’s Oscar-winning film Dances With Wolves, to 37 years to life in prison Monday following his conviction on 13 charges of sexually assaulting Indigenous women and girls — crimes prosecutors say he carried out over nearly two decades by exploiting his standing as a Lakota spiritual leader.
Judge Jessica Peterson presided over the sentencing in Las Vegas, where Chasing Horse, 49, had faced 21 charges stemming from accusations by three women. He was convicted of 10 counts of sexual assault of a minor under 16, one count of open or gross lewdness, one count of sexual assault, and one count of possession of visual material depicting sexual conduct of a child. He will not be eligible for parole until 2063.
Chasing Horse was born on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, home of the Sicangu Sioux. After appearing as the young tribal member Smiles a Lot in the 1990 film, he traveled across Indian Country attending powwows and performing healing ceremonies — a public profile that prosecutors argued gave him the cover and authority to prey on victims who trusted him.
Deputy District Attorney Bianca Pucci told the jury during trial that for almost 20 years, Chasing Horse “spun a web of abuse” that ensnared many women. One victim, Corena Leone-LaCroix, who has spoken publicly about her experience, was 14 years old when the assaults began. Prosecutors said Chasing Horse told her that the spirits wanted her to surrender her virginity to save her mother, who had been diagnosed with cancer, then assaulted her and warned that if she told anyone, her mother would die.
Leone-LaCroix addressed the court directly at sentencing. “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.”
Chasing Horse maintained his innocence throughout. “This is a miscarriage of justice,” he told Judge Peterson at sentencing. His attorney, Craig Mueller, said the defense plans to appeal.
The Nevada conviction does not close the legal file against him. British Columbia prosecutors charged him with sexual assault for an alleged offense in September 2018 near Keremeos and have said they will assess next steps once American appeals are exhausted. A separate warrant remains outstanding in Alberta, where the Tsuut’ina Nation Police Service is coordinating with Crown prosecutors.
