LAS VEGAS (AP) — Nathan Chasing Horse, the former actor from “Dances with Wolves,” has been indicted once again by a grand jury in Nevada on multiple charges, including the sexual abuse of Indigenous women and girls. This indictment revives a major criminal case against him.
On Thursday, a new 21-count indictment was unveiled in Clark County District Court, which encompasses Las Vegas. This updated indictment not only retains previous allegations of sexual assault, lewdness, and kidnapping but also adds serious new charges related to the production and possession of child sexual abuse materials.
Chasing Horse’s legal troubles have a lengthy history, with more than a year of delayed proceedings that resulted in the Nevada Supreme Court ordering the dismissal of his initial 18-count indictment just last month. The court criticized the prosecution, stating that they had misused the grand jury process, yet allowed for the possibility of refiled charges.
In light of this development, Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson quickly declared his intention to seek a new indictment. However, neither Wolfson nor his office responded immediately to requests for further comments on the case as of Thursday.
Chasing Horse, known for his role as Smiles A Lot in the acclaimed 1990 film, was born on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, home to the Sicangu Sioux, one of the tribes of the Lakota nation. Following his rise to fame, he began to present himself as a self-proclaimed Lakota medicine man, conducting healing ceremonies across North America, which prosecutors claim allowed him access to vulnerable women and girls for years.
Since his arrest near Las Vegas last January, Chasing Horse has been in jail. Authorities in the U.S. and Canada responded to his case by investigating additional criminal allegations against him, which had persisted for years, notably on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in Montana. Local tribal leaders had previously expelled him in 2015 amidst accusations of human trafficking.
Although Canadian authorities have stated that their case is largely symbolic — given the likelihood that Chasing Horse may never return to Canada — they maintain that it is crucial to have active warrants to support the victims involved. “At the end of the day, it is important for us to have these warrants in the system so our victims know they’ve been heard,” remarked Sgt. Nancy Farmer of the Tsuut’ina Nation Police Service.
Chasing Horse has pleaded not guilty to the original charges. His new legal representation has not yet commented on the recent indictment, and his previous public defender, Kristy Holston, also declined to comment.
Significantly, the latest indictment includes accusations that Chasing Horse filmed sexual acts with one of his accusers when she was under the age of 14. Prosecutors claim that this incriminating footage, recorded in 2010 or 2011, was discovered on cellphones secured in a locked safe within a North Las Vegas residence shared by Chasing Horse and five wives, including the minor featured in the videos.
When dismissing the original indictment, the Nevada Supreme Court emphasized that it was not making any judgments regarding Chasing Horse’s guilt or innocence, but noted that the allegations against him are of a serious nature. The court criticized prosecutors for incorrectly providing the grand jury with a definition of grooming without expert testimony and for failing to disclose inconsistent statements made by one of Chasing Horse’s accusers.
Chasing Horse’s ongoing legal issues coincide with a broader movement across the United States, where lawmakers and law enforcement agencies are focusing more resources on cases involving Native women, particularly addressing issues related to human trafficking and violence against Indigenous populations.
