Actor From ‘Dances With Wolves’ Faces Sentencing for Assaulting Indigenous Women

Nathan Chasing Horse, who appeared in the Oscar-winning film 'Dances With Wolves,' was scheduled for sentencing Wednesday after being convicted on 13 charges related to sexually assaulting Indigenous women and girls. The former actor faces a minimum of 25 years in prison and additional charges in Canada.

LAS VEGAS — A former actor from the acclaimed movie ‘Dances With Wolves’ was set to receive his prison sentence Wednesday morning following his conviction for sexually assaulting Indigenous women and girls in a case that has deeply impacted Native American communities nationwide.

Nathan Chasing Horse’s sentencing follows his conviction last month on 13 out of 21 criminal charges brought against him. The majority of these charges involved his actions against a victim who was just 14 years old when the abuse began. While convicted on most counts, Chasing Horse was found not guilty on several sexual assault charges.

Throughout the proceedings, Chasing Horse maintained his innocence. His defense lawyer Craig Mueller challenged the primary victim’s reliability, describing her as a “scorned woman.”

The convicted actor is looking at a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years behind bars.

After the trial concluded, Mueller attempted to secure a new trial by filing a motion that claimed a witness lacked proper qualifications to discuss grooming behavior and that the time limit for prosecution had passed. The court rejected this motion.

Wednesday’s sentencing concludes a multi-year legal battle that began when authorities first took Chasing Horse into custody and formally charged him in 2023. His initial arrest created ripple effects throughout Native American communities, prompting law enforcement agencies in multiple states and Canada to pursue additional criminal cases.

Canadian authorities in British Columbia filed sexual assault charges against Chasing Horse in February 2023, stemming from an alleged incident that occurred in September 2018 near the village of Keremeos, located approximately four hours east of Vancouver. The Canadian case was temporarily suspended in November 2023 due to the ongoing U.S. proceedings but later resumed.

According to Damienne Darby, communications counsel for the British Columbia Prosecution Service, Canadian prosecutors will evaluate their next moves once Chasing Horse has completed all appeals in his U.S. case.

Additionally, the Tsuut’ina Nation Police Service in Alberta confirmed in a statement following the conviction that an active warrant remains against Chasing Horse, and they continue coordinating with the Alberta Crown Prosecutors Office.

During the trial, Nevada prosecutors argued that Chasing Horse exploited his status as a Lakota medicine man to target Indigenous women and girls for abuse.

Deputy District Attorney Bianca Pucci informed jurors that Chasing Horse had “spun a web of abuse” that trapped numerous women over nearly two decades.

Three women testified about their experiences of sexual assault at the hands of Chasing Horse. The jury found him guilty on charges related to all three victims.

After gaining recognition for his role as Smiles a Lot in Kevin Costner’s Academy Award-winning “Dances With Wolves,” Chasing Horse, who was born on South Dakota’s Rosebud Reservation, became a fixture at powwows and healing ceremonies across Native American communities.

Several victims testified about participating in his ceremonies or seeking his help for medical issues.

The primary victim was 14 years old in 2012 when prosecutors say Chasing Horse manipulated her by claiming spirits required her to lose her virginity to heal her cancer-stricken mother. He then assaulted her and threatened that revealing the abuse would result in her mother’s death, according to Pucci. These assaults continued over several years, prosecutors stated.