You preyed on these women's trusts and their spirituality
For nearly two decades, a man who had once embodied the dignity of Indigenous life on screen used that very image — and the sacred trust of spiritual ceremony — to prey upon the women and girls who believed in him. Nathan Chasing Horse, 49, was sentenced to life in prison by a Nevada court after being convicted on thirteen counts of sexual assault, his victims testifying that he had stolen not merely their safety but their faith, their childhoods, and their futures. The sentence, which carries parole eligibility after thirty-seven years, arrives as investigations in Canada continue to unfold, suggesting that the full measure of harm may not yet be known. In the arc of this story, the courtroom became the place where those who had been silenced by manipulation and fear finally spoke — and were heard.
- For nearly twenty years, Chasing Horse exploited his fame and claimed spiritual authority to systematically manipulate Indigenous women and girls, telling one fourteen-year-old that the spirits demanded her virginity to save her dying mother.
- Victims described the destruction of their faith, the loss of their childhoods, and lasting physical harm — including one woman who required surgery after an assault-related ectopic pregnancy and continues to suffer health complications.
- Despite maintaining his innocence throughout the trial and calling the verdict a miscarriage of justice, Chasing Horse was sentenced to life in prison, with the judge telling him plainly that he had weaponized spirituality for personal gratification.
- Law enforcement agencies across multiple U.S. states and Canada have opened related investigations, with charges pending in British Columbia and an outstanding warrant in Alberta, signaling that the legal reckoning is far from over.
- Even amid the weight of their trauma, some victims addressed the court with resolve — one declaring she would rebuild her life, reclaim her voice, and fight for the future she deserves.
Nathan Chasing Horse sat still in his detention uniform as the women he had harmed addressed the court one by one. They described what had been taken from them — childhoods, first experiences, faith itself. Corena Leone-LaCroix, who was fourteen when the abuse began, told the judge that the girl she had been was gone forever. On Monday, a Nevada court sentenced Chasing Horse to life in prison, with parole eligibility after thirty-seven years.
Convicted on thirteen charges involving the sexual assault of three women, Chasing Horse had used his standing as a Lakota medicine man to draw victims into his ceremonies and then turn their spiritual beliefs against them. Prosecutors described nearly two decades of calculated predation. In Leone-LaCroix's case, he told her the spirits required her to surrender her virginity to save her cancer-stricken mother — then warned her that speaking out would cause her mother's death. The abuse continued for years.
Chasing Horse had gained visibility through his role as Smiles a Lot in the Oscar-winning film Dances With Wolves, and he traveled widely through Indian Country conducting ceremonies. That prominence, combined with his claimed spiritual authority, became the mechanism of his crimes. Deputy District Attorney Bianca Pucci told the jury he had spent nearly twenty years spinning a web of abuse that ensnared many women who came to him seeking healing.
His defense team challenged witness qualifications, raised statute of limitations arguments, and attempted to discredit Leone-LaCroix. Chasing Horse himself called the verdict a miscarriage of justice. Judge Jessica Peterson was unmoved, telling him directly that he had preyed on his victims' trust and spirituality for his own gratification.
The harm his victims carry is lasting. One woman required surgery after an assault-related ectopic pregnancy and continues to face health complications. Others described the destruction of their faith and the shattering of their families' trust in sacred traditions. Yet some have found a path forward — one victim told the court she was choosing to see the moment as a fresh start, vowing to rebuild and reclaim her voice.
Chasing Horse's 2023 arrest set off investigations across multiple U.S. states and Canada. British Columbia has charged him with sexual assault for an alleged 2018 offense, and an outstanding warrant remains in Alberta. Those proceedings, paused during the Nevada trial, have resumed. The case has become a reckoning spanning two countries — a measure of how far the predation reached, and how many jurisdictions now have reason to pursue justice.
Nathan Chasing Horse sat motionless in his navy detention center uniform as the women he had harmed spoke directly to the judge. One by one, they described what his actions had taken from them—childhoods, first experiences, graduations, faith itself. Corena Leone-LaCroix, who was fourteen when he assaulted her, told Judge Jessica Peterson that the life that girl could have lived had been stolen. "There is no way to get back the youth," she said. On Monday, a Nevada court sentenced the 49-year-old actor to life in prison, with eligibility for parole after thirty-seven years.
Chasing Horse was convicted on thirteen charges, predominantly involving the sexual assault of three women. A jury found him guilty after hearing testimony from victims who described how he had exploited his standing as a Lakota medicine man to manipulate and prey upon Indigenous women and girls over nearly two decades. The prosecution painted a picture of calculated predation: Chasing Horse would draw women into his ceremonies and healing practices, then use their spiritual beliefs against them. When Leone-LaCroix was fourteen, prosecutors said, he told her that the spirits demanded she surrender her virginity to save her mother, who was dying of cancer. He then assaulted her and warned that if she told anyone, her mother would die. The abuse continued for years.
Chasing Horse rose to prominence after his role as Smiles a Lot, a young Sioux tribesman, in Kevin Costner's Oscar-winning film "Dances With Wolves." Born on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, the ancestral home of the Sicangu Sioux, he traveled throughout Indian Country attending powwows and conducting ceremonies. That visibility, combined with his claimed spiritual authority, became the instrument of his crimes. Deputy District Attorney Bianca Pucci told the jury that for nearly twenty years, Chasing Horse "spun a web of abuse" that ensnared many women. Those who came forward testified they had sought him out for healing or participated in his ceremonies, trusting him because of who he claimed to be.
Throughout the trial, Chasing Horse maintained his innocence. His legal team argued that a key witness lacked proper qualifications to testify about grooming tactics and that the statute of limitations had expired on some charges. They also attempted to undermine Leone-LaCroix's credibility by characterizing her as a "scorned woman." The judge rejected a motion for a retrial. When given the opportunity to address the court before sentencing, Chasing Horse called the verdict "a miscarriage of justice." Judge Peterson was unmoved. She told him directly: "You preyed on these women's trusts and their spirituality, and you manipulated them for your own personal gratification."
The impact on his victims extends far beyond the courtroom. One woman who was assaulted developed an ectopic pregnancy as a result and required surgery. She continues to face ongoing health complications. Another victim's mother spoke of struggling to regain her faith and spirituality after what Chasing Horse had done. The mothers of affected women described feeling their trust had been shattered, that sacred traditions had been weaponized against their daughters. Yet some victims have found a way forward. One woman told the court: "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."
Chasing Horse's arrest in 2023 sent reverberations across Indian Country and beyond. Law enforcement agencies in multiple U.S. states and Canada opened investigations into his conduct. The British Columbia Prosecution Service charged him with sexual assault in February 2023 for an alleged offense near Keremeos in September 2018. Those proceedings were temporarily paused while the Nevada case moved forward but have since resumed. An outstanding warrant also remains in place in Alberta, according to the Tsuut'ina Nation Police Service, which confirmed ongoing contact with Alberta Crown Prosecutors. Once Chasing Horse exhausts his appeals in Nevada, British Columbia prosecutors will determine their next steps. The case that began with one arrest has become a reckoning spanning two countries, a measure of how far his predation had reached and how many jurisdictions now have reason to pursue justice.
Notable Quotes
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.— Corena Leone-LaCroix, victim
You preyed on these women's trusts and their spirituality, and you manipulated them for your own personal gratification.— Judge Jessica Peterson
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
How did someone with his public profile manage to operate undetected for so long?
He used the very thing that made him visible—his spiritual authority. People came to him seeking healing. They trusted him because of "Dances With Wolves," because he claimed to be a medicine man, because he moved through Indigenous communities as someone who belonged there. That trust became the mechanism of the abuse.
The victim was fourteen when it started. Did he use the same manipulation tactic with all of them?
The pattern was consistent. He would tell women that the spirits demanded something of them, or that a sacrifice was necessary for healing. With Leone-LaCroix, he said her mother's cancer could only be saved if she gave up her virginity to him. Then he threatened that telling anyone would kill her mother. That's not just assault—it's psychological imprisonment.
Why did it take so long for charges to come?
Many victims didn't come forward for years. Some may not have understood what happened to them as abuse. Others were bound by the threats he made, or by shame, or by the fact that he was woven into their spiritual communities. It often takes time for people to find the courage to speak, especially when the person who harmed them holds that kind of power.
He's maintaining innocence even after conviction. Does that change anything for the victims?
The judge noted how striking his denial was, given the evidence. For the victims, his refusal to acknowledge what he did is another form of harm. But some of them have moved past waiting for his admission. One woman said she's choosing to see the sentencing as a fresh start, a chance to reclaim her voice. That's not forgiveness—it's survival.
There are still charges pending in Canada. Will those go forward?
That depends on how the appeals process unfolds. Once he's exhausted his Nevada appeals, British Columbia prosecutors will reassess. There's also an outstanding warrant in Alberta. The investigation didn't end with this conviction—it expanded. Multiple jurisdictions are now involved.