Nathan Chasing Horse sentenced to life for sexual assault of Indigenous women

• Nathan Chasing Horse receives a life sentence for decades of sexual abuse.
• Victims describe total betrayal of faith and Indigenous spiritual traditions.
• Outstanding warrants and charges remain active in multiple Canadian provinces.
  

Nathan Chasing Horse, the former actor best known for his role in "Dances With Wolves," has been sentenced to life in prison for the sexual assault of Indigenous women and girls.

A Nevada judge delivered the sentence on Monday, following a trial that exposed how Chasing Horse exploited his position as a Lakota medicine man to "spin a web of abuse" spanning two decades.

A jury had previously convicted the 50-year-old on 13 charges, including sexual assault and child abuse, primarily involving three women who testified against him.

During the emotional proceedings, victims and their families described the devastating impact of Chasing Horse's actions on their mental health and spirituality.

One victim, Corena Leone-LaCroix, recounted how the assaults began when she was just 14, alleging that Chasing Horse claimed her compliance was necessary to save her mother from cancer.

Judge Jessica Peterson listened as mothers of the victims expressed their struggle to regain trust in sacred traditions after such a profound betrayal.

Despite the overwhelming testimony, Chasing Horse maintained his innocence in court, staring straight ahead and labelling the outcome a "miscarriage of justice."

The sentencing concludes a years-long effort by Nevada prosecutors to hold the former spiritual leader accountable.

However, Chasing Horse still faces significant legal challenges elsewhere; additional charges of sexual assault remain pending in British Columbia and Alberta, Canada.

Prosecutors in Canada are currently assessing their next steps while Chasing Horse exhausts his appeals in the United States.

Before his arrest in 2023, the actor frequently travelled across North America to perform healing ceremonies.