LAS VEGAS (AP) — A Nevada judge on Monday sentenced “Dances with Wolves” actor Nathan Chasing Horse to life in prison for sexually assaulting Native women and girls.
A jury had previously found him guilty of 13 counts, most of which related to the sexual assault of three women.
The accusers and their families told Judge Jessica Peterson that they continue to suffer trauma from the 49-year-old Chasing Horse and struggle with their faith after he took advantage of his position as a spiritual leader.
“I can’t get back my youth, my lost childhood, my firsts, my first kiss, the graduation I never got,” said Corena Leone-LaCroix, who was 14 when the horse chaser struck. “The life that little girl could have had has been taken from me forever.”
The Associated Press generally does not use the names of alleged sexual assault victims unless they come forward publicly, as Leon Lacroix did.
Chai Ma, wearing a navy blue Clark County Detention Center uniform, stared straight ahead as the victims read their statements and remained quiet as he was escorted out of the courtroom. He will be eligible for parole after serving 37 years in prison and continues to deny the charges against him.
“This is a miscarriage of justice,” he told the judge Monday.
Peterson said she was shocked that he continued to deny the charges despite evidence presented at trial.
“You robbed these women of their trust and their spirituality and manipulated them for your own personal gratification,” she said before handing down his sentence. A dozen people in the courtroom applauded as the hearing adjourned.
Other charges in Canada remain pending
The verdict ends a year-long struggle by the former actor after he was first arrested and charged in 2023. The initial arrests reverberated across Indian Country, with more criminal charges later filed by law enforcement in other states and Canada. Those charges are still pending.
The British Columbia Prosecution Service said Chasing Horse was charged with sexual assault in February 2023, even though the alleged offense occurred in September 2018 near the village of Keremeos, about four hours east of Vancouver. In November 2023, the case was suspended due to horse chasing charges in the United States, but it resumed the following year.
Damienne Darby, communications adviser to the British Columbia Public Prosecution Service, said in an email that the British Columbia Public Prosecution Service will evaluate next steps after all appeals by Chasing Horse have been exhausted.
Alberta’s Tsuut’ina National Police said in a statement following Chasing Horse’s January conviction that an Alberta warrant for Chasing Horse’s arrest remains outstanding. Tsuut’ina National Police said it is in contact with the Alberta Crown Prosecutor’s Office regarding the arrest warrant.
The trial in January focused on his role as spiritual leader
Chasing Horse was born on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, home to the Sikangu Sioux, one of the seven Lakota tribes. After Chasing Horse “smiled a lot” as a young Sioux tribesman in Kevin Costner’s Oscar-winning “Dances with Wolves,” he traveled across Indian Country to attend ceremonies and perform healing rituals.
During the trial, Nevada prosecutors said Chase Ma used his reputation as a Lakota medicine man to prey on Native women and girls.
Deputy District Attorney Bianca Pucci told the jury that for nearly 20 years, horse chasing groups “weaved a web of abuse” that trapped many women.
Jurors heard from three women who said Chase Horse sexually assaulted them. The jury returned guilty verdicts on a number of charges. He was acquitted of the other charges.
need medical help
Multiple victims described how they attended his rituals or went to Chase Horse to seek medical help.
Chai Ma allegedly told Léon-Lacroix when she was 14 that a ghost wanted her to give up her virginity to save her mother, who had been diagnosed with cancer. He then sexually assaulted her and told her that if she told anyone, her mother would die, according to Pucci. The sexual assaults continued for years, Pucci said.
Chai Ma has denied the allegations and his lawyers have questioned the credibility of the lead accuser, calling her a “scorned woman”. His attorneys filed a motion for a new trial, arguing the witness was not qualified to speak about the grooming and that the statute of limitations had expired. The motion was denied.
Victims and their families testified that the actions of the horse chase group had left their faith in trouble. The victim’s mother said horse chasing betrayed their trust and abused a sacred tradition.
“To this day, I’m still trying to regain my faith and spirituality,” said Lynette Adams, the mother of Sierra Begaye, one of the other victims.
The Associated Press generally does not use the names of alleged sexual assault victims unless they come forward publicly or approve the use of their names, as Begaye did.
Begaye said she still faces complications from the attack that resulted in an ectopic pregnancy and forced surgery.
“I choose to see this moment as a new beginning,” Begaye said. “I will rebuild my life, find my voice, and continue to fight for the future I deserve.”