Prosecutors alleged that Nathan Chasing Horse, best known for his role in the 1990 film “Dances With Wolves,” used his reputation as a Lakota medicine man to prey on Indigenous women and girls, while his defense attorney said the actor is being falsely accused in opening statements Tuesday at his trial in Las Vegas.

The trial arrives as authorities have responded with increased focus to an epidemic of violence against Native women, with Chasing Horse facing 21 charges including sexual assault and sexual assault of a minor.

Nathan Chasing Horse pleaded not guilty to 21 charges including sexual assault and sexual assault of a minor. Born on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, he is best known for portraying the character Smiles A Lot in the 1990 film “Dances With Wolves.” After the film’s release, prosecutors said, he traveled around North America to perform healing ceremonies.

Opening Statements

Prosecutors alleged that Chasing Horse sexually assaulted two victims, one who was 14 years old and another who was 19 at the time of the alleged assaults.

Prosecutor Bianca Pucci told the jury that in 2012, Chasing Horse told the 14-year-old victim that the spirits wanted her to give up her virginity to save her mother, who had been diagnosed with cancer. He then allegedly sexually assaulted her and threatened that her mother would die if she told anyone.

“She wanted to appease the spirits,” Pucci said. “She wanted to appease the medicine man.”

The victim had met Chasing Horse when she was 6 years old and served as a pipe girl — a respected role — in Lakota ceremonies before he symbolically adopted her.

Pucci presented photos of Chasing Horse with the victim. She alleged that Chasing Horse took the young victim on road trips to different ceremonies and repeatedly sexually assaulted her in hotel rooms. He allegedly had her get spider tattoos on her arms and hand to remind her not to tell anyone. Chasing Horse himself has spider tattoos on his neck.

The victim and her mother eventually moved from California to North Las Vegas to live with Chasing Horse and his multiple wives. Pucci alleged he continued to sexually assault her there before she and her family found another place to live.

At age 18, the victim changed her last name to Chasing Horse’s, convinced he was protecting her and doing good work. Her mother had gone into remission from cancer.

Pucci told jurors that Chasing Horse had the victim “stuck in his web,” referring to the spider tattoos and the control he exercised over her.

Prosecutors also alleged a second victim, now an adult, was sexually assaulted by Chasing Horse. She had known him since childhood through ceremonies and viewed him as a protector and medicine man.

Pucci said prosecutors will show the jury a video to support their allegations.

Defense Response

Defense attorney Craig Mueller said prosecutors would present no DNA evidence or eyewitness evidence of the allegations.

He characterized the victim as an “angry wife” making false allegations, saying she had lived happily with Chasing Horse for five years. Mueller presented family photos to the jury, including a portrait of Chasing Horse with his wives.

“Just like any family,” Mueller said.

Mueller argued that Chasing Horse is well-respected in the community and presented the defendant in a domestic context with his family members.

“This isn’t some bizarre pedophile at large running around,” Mueller said.

The Trial’s Significance

The case unfolds amid heightened law enforcement focus on violence against Native women. Chasing Horse’s first arrest and indictment in 2023 sent shock waves through Indian Country given his prominence in “Dances With Wolves,” one of the most notable films featuring Native Americans when it premiered in 1990.

Chasing Horse sat quietly in the courtroom wearing a blue tie and black suit with his hair pulled back, taking notes during opening statements. His family sat in the back row of the crowded Las Vegas courtroom.