Who is Nathan Chasing Horse? Oscar-winning ‘Dances With Wolves’ actor sentenced to life in prison

Las Vegas: Nathan Chasing Horse, the actor known for playing the young Lakota character Smiles a Lot in the Oscar-winning 1990 film Dances With Wolves, has been sentenced to life in prison in Nevada after being convicted of sexually assaulting Indigenous women and girls.

A Nevada judge handed down the sentence on Monday after a jury previously found Chasing Horse guilty on 13 charges, most involving the sexual assault of three women. He will be eligible for parole after serving 37 years.

Chasing Horse, 49, once gained recognition for his role in Kevin Costner’s acclaimed western drama and later appeared in television films including The Broken Chain, Into the West and Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. He also travelled widely across Indigenous communities, attending powwows and conducting healing ceremonies as a self-described spiritual leader.

Prosecutors said he used that position of trust to exploit women and girls over nearly two decades.

Deputy District Attorney Bianca Pucci told jurors that Chasing Horse for almost 20 years “spun a web of abuse” that ensnared many women.

Judge Jessica Peterson, while delivering the sentence, condemned his conduct and refusal to accept responsibility.

“You preyed on these women’s trusts and their spirituality, and you manipulated them for your own personal gratification," she said before announcing the life sentence.

When the hearing concluded, more than a dozen people in the courtroom applauded.

Victims describe lasting trauma

Several survivors and family members gave emotional statements in court, describing long-term trauma and the damage caused to their faith and trust.

Corena Leone-LaCroix, who said she was 14 when Chasing Horse assaulted her, told the court, “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. The life that little girl could have lived has been taken from me forever.”

According to prosecutors, Chasing Horse told Leone-LaCroix that spirits wanted her to give up her virginity to save her mother, who had been diagnosed with cancer. He then assaulted her and warned that if she told anyone, her mother would die.

Another victim, Siera Begaye, said she continues to suffer medical complications after an ectopic pregnancy that resulted from the assault.

“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.”

Lynnette Adams, Begaye’s mother, said, “Even to this day I struggle to regain my faith and spirituality.”

Chasing Horse denies charges

Chasing Horse continued to deny wrongdoing during sentencing.

“This is a miscarriage of justice,” he told the judge. However, Judge Peterson said she was struck by his continued denial despite the evidence presented during trial.

Who is Nathan Chasing Horse?

Nathan Chasing Horse was born on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, home to the Sicangu Sioux, one of the seven tribes of the Lakota nation. He rose to prominence after Dances With Wolves, in which he portrayed Smiles a Lot.

He is also the father of model Quannah Chasinghorse, who was raised by her mother, Jody Potts-Joseph.

The sentencing concludes a years-long prosecution that began with his arrest in 2023. The case prompted further investigations across the United States and Canada.

The authorities in British Columbia have confirmed a sexual assault charge filed in 2023 relating to an alleged 2018 incident near Keremeos. The matter was temporarily paused due to the US case and later resumed.

An outstanding warrant also remains in Alberta, where police said they are coordinating with prosecutors.