Las Vegas police arrested and searched the home Tuesday of a “Dances With Wolves” actor-turned-suspected cult leader accused of sexually assaulting Native American youth over a period spanning two decades, according to police records obtained by The Associated Press.
Nathan Lee Chasing His Horse, also known as Nathan Chasing Horse, was arrested in the afternoon near the North Las Vegas home he reportedly shares with his five wives. SWAT officers were seen outside the two-story home at night as detectives searched the property.
Known for his role as the young Sioux tribesman Smiles a Lot in Kevin Costner’s Oscar-winning film, Chasing Horse earned a reputation among tribes across the United States and Canada as a supposed medicine man who performed at healing ceremonies and spiritual gatherings and, according to police, used his position to abuse young Native American girls.
His arrest is the culmination of a month-long investigation that began when police received a tip in October 2022. According to a 50-page search warrant obtained by AP, Chasing Horse is believed to be the leader of a known cult. Like The Circle.
And it comes at a time when attorneys general and legislators across the United States are exploring the possibility of creating specialized units to handle the cases of indigenous women.
In South Dakota, the attorney general’s office has focused on crimes against Native Americans, such as human trafficking and murder.
According to the document, Las Vegas police have identified at least six alleged victims and uncovered sexual allegations against Chasing Horse dating back to the early 2000s in several states, including Montana, South Dakota and Nevada, where he lives. for about a decade.
No attorney for Chasing Horse was listed in court records as of Tuesday night who could comment on his behalf.
Chasing Horse was born on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, where the Sicangu Sioux, one of the seven tribes of the Lakota Nation, live.
According to the warrant, he was banished in 2015 from the Fort Peck Reservation in Poplar, Montana, amid allegations of human trafficking.
“Nathan Chasing Horse used spiritual traditions and his belief system as a tool to sexually assault young girls on numerous occasions,” the order says, adding that his followers believed he could communicate with higher beings and referred to him as “Man Medicine” or “Holy Person”.
Although the warrant includes details of crimes reported elsewhere, the arrest is for crimes allegedly committed in Clark County, Nevada. They include sex trafficking, sexual assault on a child under 16, and child abuse.
Some of the alleged victims were as young as 13, according to the court order. One of Chasing Horse’s wives was allegedly offered to her as a “gift” when she was 15, while another became a wife after she turned 16.
Chasing Horse is also charged with recording sexual assaults and arranging sex with the victims for other men who were allegedly paying him.
