A Nevada grand jury has once again indicted Nathan Chasing Horse, former "Dances with Wolves" actor, on allegations of sexually abusing Indigenous women and girls, reigniting a significant criminal case against him. The 21-count indictment, unsealed Thursday in Clark County District Court in Las Vegas, broadens his previous charges of sexual assault, lewdness, and kidnapping to now include producing and possessing child sexual abuse materials.
This new indictment follows over a year of delays in court proceedings, culminating last month when the Nevada Supreme Court ordered the dismissal of Chasing Horse’s initial 18-count indictment. The court criticized the prosecution, stating that they had misused the grand jury process but left room for charges to be brought forward again.
Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson responded by promptly seeking a new indictment. Wolfson and his office's spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Thursday.
Nathan Chasing Horse, best known for his role as Smiles A Lot in the 1990 Oscar-winning film *Dances with Wolves,* was born on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, home to the Sicangu Sioux, a tribe of the Lakota nation.
Chasing Horse's arrest had a profound impact across Indigenous communities. Law enforcement agencies in both the U.S. and Canada have since filed additional charges, building on longstanding allegations, including those on Montana’s Fort Peck Indian Reservation, where he was banished in 2015 amid human trafficking accusations.
Authorities in Alberta, Canada, acknowledge that their case against Nathan Chasing Horse is largely symbolic, as he could face decades in a Nevada prison if convicted and may never return to Canada. Nevertheless, Sgt. Nancy Farmer of the Tsuut’ina Nation Police Service emphasized the importance of having warrants in the system to show victims that their voices are being heard, stating, “It’s extremely important that we continue to support them that way.”
In Las Vegas, Chasing Horse pleaded not guilty to the original charges. His current attorney has not yet commented, while Kristy Holston, his former public defender, declined to comment on the new indictment. This latest indictment includes allegations that Chasing Horse filmed himself engaging in sexual acts with one of his accusers, who was under 14 at the time. Prosecutors report that the video, taken around 2010 or 2011, was found on cellphones in a locked safe at Chasing Horse’s North Las Vegas home, where he allegedly lived with five wives, including the young girl in the footage.
The Nevada Supreme Court recently dismissed Chasing Horse’s initial indictment, noting they were not making a judgment on his guilt or innocence but criticized the prosecution for providing a definition of "grooming" to the grand jury without expert testimony and for withholding inconsistent statements from one of his accusers.
Chasing Horse’s case unfolds as U.S. lawmakers and prosecutors increase efforts to address cases involving Native women, including issues of human trafficking and murder.