The case centers on allegations that Chasing Horse used his standing as a self-proclaimed Lakota medicine man and spiritual healer to sexually abuse Native American women and girls over two decades. He has pleaded not guilty to 21 charges, including allegations he filmed himself sexually abusing a girl younger than 14.
Nathan Chasing Horse, the former “Dances with Wolves” actor facing trial on sexual abuse charges, was removed from a Las Vegas courtroom Monday after he disrupted proceedings by demanding to replace his defense attorney days before trial. Judge Jessica Peterson ordered him out after he spoke over her, then ruled the jury trial would proceed as scheduled beginning Jan. 12.
Chasing Horse argued that his attorney, Craig Mueller, had not come to visit him and had not filed timely. He asked that a public defender who previously represented him be reinstated. Mueller told the court his client was ready and privately told Peterson that one of his investigators had visited with Chasing Horse. Mueller declined to comment to the Associated Press.
The charges
Chasing Horse has pleaded not guilty to 21 charges, including allegations that he sexually assaulted women and girls and that he filmed himself sexually abusing a girl younger than 14. Prosecutors allege he used his reputation as a self-proclaimed spiritual leader and healer to take advantage of Native American women and girls over two decades.
Prosecutors also claim Chasing Horse led a group called The Circle, and that his followers believed he could speak with spirits. Victims went to him for medical help, according to a transcript from a grand jury hearing. Prosecutors expect the trial to last three weeks.
Background
Chasing Horse is best known for portraying the character Smiles A Lot in the 1990 Oscar-winning film “Dances with Wolves.” He was born on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, home to the Sicangu Sioux, one of the seven tribes of the Lakota nation.
According to prosecutors, after starring in the film Chasing Horse began presenting himself as a Lakota medicine man while traveling around North America to perform healing ceremonies. When he was arrested in 2023, he was living in a North Las Vegas house with his five wives, according to prosecutors.
The case drew wide attention across Native American communities. The original indictment was dismissed in 2024 after the Nevada Supreme Court ruled that prosecutors had abused the grand jury process by providing a definition of grooming as evidence without any expert testimony. The court left open the possibility of charges being refiled, and a new indictment was brought later that year.