Actor's Abuse Web Ends: Sentencing Looms

A "Dances With Wolves" actor, Nathan Chasing Horse, is set for sentencing on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, concluding a case that deeply impacted Indian Country. He was convicted last month by a Nevada jury on 13 of 21 charges, primarily related to assaults on a minor victim who was 14 when the abuse began.

Chasing Horse, who denied the allegations, faces a minimum of 25 years in prison. His attorney's motion for a new trial was denied. This sentencing marks the end of a yearslong prosecution effort, initiated after his 2023 arrest, which spurred further criminal charges in other regions.

Further legal challenges await Chasing Horse, with charges pending in Canada. In February 2023, he was charged with sexual assault in British Columbia, with the alleged offense occurring in September 2018. His case there paused due to U.S. proceedings but resumed in 2024. Prosecutors in British Columbia will assess next steps after all appeals are exhausted. Additionally, an outstanding warrant remains in Alberta, Canada, with police in contact with the Crown Prosecutors Office.

Prosecutors described Chasing Horse as having used his status as a Lakota medicine man to prey on vulnerable Indigenous women and girls. Jurors heard testimony from three women detailing sexual assaults spanning nearly two decades. Victims recounted participating in his ceremonies or seeking his help, only to be allegedly assaulted.