A Nevada jury delivered a guilty verdict on Friday against Dances With Wolves actor Nathan Chasing Horse for sexually assaulting Indigenous women and girls, a ruling that reverberates across Native communities. The Las Vegas panel convicted him on 13 out of 21 counts, with most involving a victim who was just 14 years old when the abuse started. Chasing Horse, now 49, faces at least 25 years behind bars, and his sentencing is scheduled for March 11.
Verdict Details and Charges
Prosecutors argued that Chasing Horse abused his role as a Lakota medicine man to target vulnerable Indigenous women and girls. The conviction follows his arrest and indictment in 2023, marking the culmination of a prolonged push for justice. He was cleared on certain charges linked to an older victim, identified as a former wife.
During the three-week trial, three women testified about sexual assaults by Chasing Horse, including incidents when they were minors. Jurors found him guilty on charges connected to each accuser. In closing arguments, Deputy District Attorney Bianca Pucci described how Chasing Horse wove a “web of abuse” over nearly two decades that ensnared multiple victims.
The primary accuser recounted that in 2012, at age 14, Chasing Horse claimed spiritual forces required her to surrender her virginity to cure her mother’s cancer diagnosis. He then assaulted her and warned that revealing the truth would doom her mother, Pucci explained in opening statements. Defense attorney Craig Mueller countered in his closing that no eyewitnesses or concrete evidence existed, and he labeled the main accuser a “scorned woman” whose credibility was questionable. Prosecutors emphasized that such cases typically lack observers, occurring in private.
Reactions to the Verdict
As the jury announced the decision, Chasing Horse sat silently in court. Outside, victims and their supporters hugged, many wearing yellow ribbons in solidarity. Clark County Chief Deputy District Attorney William Rowles expressed gratitude to the accusers for their courage in testifying. “I just hope that the people who came forward over the years and made complaints against Nathan Chasing Horse can find some peace in this,” Rowles stated.
Mueller voiced disappointment with the outcome, announcing plans to seek a new trial. He shared lingering doubts about the accusations’ authenticity, describing himself as confused by the jury’s choice.
Broader Context
Chasing Horse gained prominence after his role in the 1990 Oscar-winning film Dances With Wolves, one of the era’s notable showcases for Native American talent. Following the movie, he toured North America, conducting healing rituals. This trial unfolds against heightened efforts to combat the pervasive violence faced by Native women in recent years.
