NORTH LAS VEGAS — Las Vegas police on Tuesday arrested and raided the home of a former “Dances With Wolves” actor accused of sexually assaulting young Indigenous girls during a period spanning two decades, according to police records obtained by The Associated Press.
Nathan Lee Chasing His Horse, who goes by Nathan Chasing Horse, was taken into custody in the afternoon near a North Las Vegas residence. SWAT officers were seen outside the two-story home in the evening as detectives searched the property.
Known for his role as the young Sioux tribe member Smiles a Lot in the Oscar-winning Kevin Costner film, Chasing Horse gained a reputation among tribes across the United States and in Canada as a so-called medicine man who performed healing ceremonies and spiritual gatherings and, police allege, used his position to abuse young Native American girls.
His arrest is the culmination of a monthslong investigation that began after police received a tip in October 2022. And it comes as state attorneys general and lawmakers around the U.S. are looking into creating specialized units to handle cases involving Native women.
In South Dakota, the attorney general’s office has put a new focus on crimes against Native American people, including human trafficking and murders.
According to a 50-page search warrant obtained by AP, Las Vegas police have identified at least six alleged victims and uncovered sexual allegations against Chasing Horse dating to the early 2000s in multiple states, including Montana, South Dakota and Nevada, where he has lived for about a decade.
There was no lawyer listed in court records for Chasing Horse who could comment on his behalf as of Tuesday evening.
Chasing Horse was born on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, which is home to the Sicangu Sioux, one of the seven tribes of the Lakota nation.
Although the warrant includes details of alleged crimes reported elsewhere, the arrest stems from crimes allegedly committed in Nevada’s Clark…
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