North Las Vegas –
Las Vegas police on Tuesday accused a former “Dance with Wolves” actor of sexually assaulting a young Indigenous girl over a 20-year period, according to police records obtained by the Associated Press. A search was conducted on the house of the alleged leader.
Nathan Lee Chasing His Horse, who goes by the name Nathan Chasing Horse, was detained this afternoon near the North Las Vegas home he is said to share with his five wives. SWAT officers were seen outside the two-story house in the evening while detectives searched the property.
Best known for his role as young Sioux member Smiles-a-Lot in the Oscar-winning Kevin Costner film, Chasing Horse is known throughout the United States and Canada as a so-called medicine man to perform healing ceremonies and spiritual gatherings. gained a reputation among the tribes of Police allege he used his position to abuse a Native American girl.
His arrest is the culmination of a month-long investigation that began after police received information in October 2022. Chasing Horse believes he is the leader of a cult known as The Circle, according to his 50-page search warrant obtained by AP.
And just as state attorneys general and legislators across the country are considering creating a dedicated unit to handle cases involving Indigenous women.
South Dakota’s Attorney General’s Office has renewed focus on crimes against Native Americans, including human trafficking and murder.
According to the documents, Las Vegas police have identified at least six victims with sexual allegations against Chasing Horse, where he lived for about a decade, in multiple states, including Montana, South Dakota and Nevada, dating back to the early 2000s. clarified.
As of Tuesday night, no attorneys were listed in the court records available to comment on behalf of Chasing Horse.
Chasing Horse was born on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, home to the Sikung Sioux, one of the seven Lakota tribes.
He was deported from the Fort Peck Reservation in Poplar, Montana in 2015 on suspicion of human trafficking, according to the warrant.
“Nathan Chasing Horse repeatedly used spiritual traditions and their belief systems as tools to sexually assault girls,” People. “
The arrest stems from a crime allegedly committed in Clark County, Nevada, although the warrant contains details of crimes reported elsewhere. This includes sex trafficking, sexual assault of children under the age of 16, and child abuse.
Some of the victims were as young as 13, according to the warrant. Chasing one of his hose wives was said to have been offered to him as a “gift” when he was fifteen.
Chasing Horse has also been accused of documenting sexual assaults and arranging sex with victims for other men who allegedly paid him.
