On April 27, activist turned supermodel Quannah Chasinghorse’s father, Nathan Chasing Horse, was sentenced to life in prison in Las Vegas for s*xual abuse of indigenous women and girls dating back to the early 2000s across multiple states, including Nevada.
In January, a Clark County jury convicted the 49-year-old Sicangu-Oglala Lakota medicine man turned actor of 13 counts of s*xual assault of three women, including Corena Leone-LaCroix, who was fourteen when the defendant repeatedly assaulted her for over a year. She told Associated Press:
“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.”
Quannah Chasinghorse, 23, has not yet addressed her father’s conviction and sentencing. However, she expressed solidarity for his victims in February 2023, around the time the Dances with Wolves actor was first arrested.
Meanwhile, victims and accusers told Judge Jessica Peterson that they continue to suffer from the trauma caused by Chasing Horse over the years and struggle with their faith inside the indigenous community.
“This is a miscarriage of justice,” the defendant, who has continued to deny the charges, said in court on Monday.
For the last three years, Nathan Chasing Horse has been housed in the Clark County Detention Center. He will now be shifted to a high-security prison and be eligible for parole after serving 37 years.
Quannah Chasinghorse: Life, career, activism, and more
Quannah Chasinghorse was born in the Navajo Nation, Tuba City, Arizona, in June 2002. She and her two brothers were raised by a single mother, Jody Potts-Joseph, in Eagle Village, Alaska. Her mom is an environmentalist, traditional tattooist, and dog musher from the Han Gwich’in tribe. Chasinghorse also spent time in New Mexico and Mongolia, where her maternal grandparents were Christian missionaries. As a young girl, she was taught how to hunt, fish, camp and hike for sustenance.
In November 2021, Chasinghorse told Atmos:
“We were out there forever until we’d come back with something… This relationship to the land is all I’ve ever known since I was a little kid… I’m not used to so much concrete. I’m used to hearing the rivers, not cars.”
As an indigenous woman herself, Quannah Chasinghorse began her activism career and joined the Alaska Wilderness League as a teenager. Today, she speaks at climate-change panels, advocates for indigenous groups and their land rights, and is a fourth-generation land protector at the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. In fact, she lobbied Congress to pass a bill and prevent oil and gas drilling in 2019.
In fact, Quannah has appeared in various documentaries, such as Walking Two Worlds (2022), Bad River (2024), and The American Southwest (2025). Last year, she won the Honorary Trailblazer Award presented by the environmental nonprofit Sierra Club. Before that, in 2023, USA Today named her as one of the “Women of the Year” recipients for her contributions to the fields of environmentalism, sustainability, women’s rights, and Native American rights.
Quannah Chasinghorse began modelling in 2019 to represent the indigenous communities. Since then, she has been on the cover of Vogue Mexico, Vogue Japan, Porter, Elle, and V Magazine. In 2020, she was also part of Teen Vogue’s list of Top 21 under 21 and later signed with IMG Models and collaborated with high-end brands like Calvin Klein, Fenty, Gucci, and Chanel.
During her Mongolian vacations, her mother often put on the only English Channel on TV that showed fashion shows 24/7. Quannah Chasinghorse told Atmos:
“The runway music, the models walking, I don’t know what it was, but I would sit there staring at it in front of the TV for hours, and I became obsessed with fashion. Ever since, everywhere I went, I was posing… I didn’t think I was pretty. I didn’t think the world thought I was pretty.”
Today, Quannah continues to celebrate and promote indigenous fashion and brands. She made headlines for her Gilded Age-themed and Navajo-inspired Met Gala look in 2022. Around the same time, she made her runway debut at the New York Fashion Week.
Last April, Quannah Chasinghorse attended the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in New York City and served as a delegate on the Gwich’in Steering Committee. She told Vogue:
“What brought me to the UN was my responsibility as a daughter, granddaughter, and future ancestor of Gwich’in. I’ve grown up watching my mother and grandmother fight to protect our sacred lands, and I carry that responsibility forward. I came to the UN because Indigenous voices belong in these spaces—because for too long, we’ve been silenced or pushed aside.”
Quannah Chasinghorse continued:
“I spoke about the urgent need to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, where the Gwich’in people hold a sacred connection to the Porcupine Caribou Herd, and the land where life begins. Protecting these places is about protecting our future and honoring the sacred relationships our peoples have upheld for generations.”
During the Rights of Women special agenda, the model-activist noted:
“Women are often the backbone of our communities and frontline defenders of Mother Earth, yet we face challenges like gender-based violence and the epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous women.”
Quannah Chasinghorse even wore an indigenous outfit and accessories, telling the magazine:
“Every piece represents me in different ways, and they remind me of home. Every piece was fierce and present, statement pieces that complemented each other very well. I loved wearing these because people ask questions in regards to their meanings and materials, and finding ways to educate people is always the goal.”
Quannah Chasinghorse shared how hearing the younger generation “use their voice” and showcase “modelled guidance and good leadership” makes her proud and hopeful. About the UN event, she said the major takeaway was that indigenous people have the “right to determine what happens in our homelands,” including saying “No” to big corporations that attempt to grab lands for mining and oil pipelines.
“When we protect our cultures, languages, and knowledge systems, we protect the planet. Real change only happens when we show up and demand it, and I carried the hopes and prayers of my people with me into those halls,” Quannah concluded.
Speaking with Atmos five years ago, Quannah Chasinghorse revealed how she used modelling as a way to educate, share, and advocate for her community, while also being a “storyteller.”
“Opening up those conversations in those spaces is a big part of why I do what I do… I want to be a part of that growth, and I also want to be an inspiration… Being someone who can inspire that change in those spaces is how I like to move when it comes to environmentalism in the industry,” she added.
In early 2023, Quannah Chasinghorse shared a message of support for the victims of his dad amid his arrest and indictment for s*xual misconduct. Back then, her Facebook post was captioned:
“I stand with the victims of Nathan Lee Chasing His Horse and those demanding justice and healing for the survivors, our communities and Indian Country overall. I hope you will join me in taking action by supporting organizations like the @niwrc in working to end the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two Spirit crisis.”
She continued by honoring the “immense courage” shown by the survivors to tell their stories publicly and urged the community to join her in prayer and action to support and uplift the victims.
S*xual abuse charges against Nathan Chasing Horse in other U.S. states (Montana and South Dakota) and Canada are pending at the time of writing.
Edited by Pallavi K