Sentencing Postponed for ‘Dances With Wolves’ Actor Found Guilty of Sexual Assault

Sentencing Delayed for Nathan Chasing Horse

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The sentencing of Nathan Chasing Horse, found guilty of sexually assaulting Native American women and girls, has been postponed by a week.

Originally set for Wednesday, Judge Jessica Peterson rescheduled the hearing for March 18. This decision marks a significant moment in a case that has drawn widespread attention in Indian Country.

The former actor from “Dances with Wolves” will face sentencing about a month after being convicted. A Nevada jury found him guilty on 13 out of 21 charges, with the most serious relating to his abuse of a victim who was just 14 years old at the start of the assaults. He was acquitted on several sexual assault charges.

Chasing Horse could be facing a minimum sentence of 25 years in prison.

His attorney, Craig Moeller, attempted to file a motion for a new trial, claiming the witness lacked qualifications regarding grooming and that the statute of limitations should apply. However, this motion was rejected.

This ruling concludes years of legal efforts after Chasing Horse’s initial arrest in 2023. That incident reverberated through Indian Country, prompting law enforcement in other jurisdictions, even in Canada, to investigate additional charges against him.

Charges in Canada

The British Columbia Provincial Prosecution Service reported charges against Chasing Horse for sexual assault in February 2023, stemming from an incident in September 2018 near Keremeos, around four hours from Vancouver. Although the case was put on hold in November 2023 due to the ongoing U.S. indictment, it resumed the following year.

Once Chasing Horse’s appeals are sorted, the British Columbia Prosecution Service plans to reassess its course of action, according to Damien Darby, a public relations adviser for the service.

Following his conviction announcement, Alberta’s Tsuutina Nation Police stated there is an active warrant out for him, and they are actively communicating with the Alberta Provincial Attorney’s Office about this matter.

Pattern of Abuse

Nevada prosecutors indicated that Chasing Horse exploited his identity as a Lakota shaman to target Native American women and girls.

Deputy District Attorney Bianca Pucci informed the jury that he had “spread a web of abuse” impacting numerous women over nearly two decades.

During the trial, three women testified to being assaulted by Chasing Horse, leading to guilty verdicts on various charges tied to their cases.

After his role as Smiles-A-Lot in Kevin Costner’s “Dances with Wolves,” Chasing Horse, who grew up on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, engaged with Indian communities, attending powwows and conducting healing ceremonies.

Multiple victims recounted attending these ceremonies and seeking medical assistance from him. The primary accuser was only 14 in 2012; Chasing Horse reportedly told her a spirit urged her to lose her virginity to assist her mother, who was ill with cancer. According to Pucci, he then assaulted her while warning that her mother would die if she spoke out. These assaults carried on for several years.