Native American actor remain sin custody in Las Vegas while courts deal with his sexual abuse charges. He has pleaded not guilty. Photo: APTN file
A former actor in the movie Dances With Wolves who is facing eight sex-related charges in Nevada is also facing a charge in British Columbia and a potential charge in Alberta, according to Tsuut’ina police.
“We are in the process of applying for arrest warrants for formal charges to be placed on our behalf,” said Sgt. Nancy Farmer from the Tsuut’ina Police Service at a press conference Tuesday afternoon.
Nathan Chasing Horse, 46, has been formally charged with sexually abusing Indigenous girls and women for two decades in multiple countries. Prosecutors in Las Vegas-have said the criminal activity began in the area starting in 2012 when he was working in both the United States and Canada as a “medicine man”.
“We’re working very closely with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and yes, there is an information sharing that we’re going through. We are finding that some victims have been victimized within that area, United States, and there may be some crossover with those victims,” said Farmer.
Farmer said the charges that have been forwarded from Tsuut’ina to the Alberta Crown prosecutor also relate to sexual abuse.
Las Vegas police say Chasing Horse used title “medicine man”
According to the arrest warrant filed by Las Vegas police, Chasing Horse said that he portrayed himself as a “holy man” or “medicine man” and by doing so, gained the trust of Indigenous families and their children.
“Upon earning this trust Chasing Horse used his position to lure vulnerable young girls, often giving them a sense of belonging, to commit sexual assault,” said the warrant.
The documents also say that Chasing Horse is the leader of group called “The Circle” alleged by many to be a cult as it often practices unethical rituals and beliefs.
The documents also note that while Chasing Horse referred to himself as a holy man, the title was not given to him by the Lakota tribal government.
Las Vegas prosecutors also filed an additional felony charge this week in connection with what detectives said were videos saved on a phone showing sexual assaults of a minor.
According to Farmer, the Las Vegas police have been investigating independently from Tsuut’ina for several months.
“You have to understand that what happened to these women is all kind of ceremony… someone they put their trust in,” said Farmer.
Canadian Press reported on Tuesday that Chasing Horse was charged in B.C. last week with one count of sexual assault linked to the southern Interior village of Keremeos in September 2018.
RCMP spokesman Staff Sgt. Kris Clark said in an email that an unendorsed warrant has been posted in B.C. for Chasing Horse.
Chasing Horse’s daughter speaks out
Quannah Chasinghorse spoke out Tuesday afternoon about the charges against her father in an emailed statement.
“I stand with the victims of Nathan Lee Chasing His Horse. I honor the immense courage it takes for survivors to tell their stories, especially publicly.
“Indigenous women contend with extraordinarily high rates of violence. The number of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two Spirit (MMIWG2S) relatives is staggering,” said the statement.
While Chasing Horse is her biological father, Quannah said she has limited contact with her father.
Chasing Horse is banned from multiple nations.
Farmer said there were at least three band council resolutions, including one reported previously by APTN where a member of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations said he was banned in 2015.
Chasing Horse was also banned from Tsuut’ina Nation in 2015. He also was banished in 2015 from the Fort Peck Reservation in Poplar, Mont., following similar allegations.
