(Las Vegas) Nathan Chasing Horse, known for his appearance in the film Dances With Wolves (Dancing with the wolves), appeared in a Nevada court on Thursday.
The 46-year-old man is accused of sexually assaulting Aboriginal teenage girls and leading a cult. The judge ordered his continued detention until his next appearance.
He was arrested Tuesday outside the North Las Vegas home he shared with his five wives, following a months-long investigation. The crimes for which he is accused would have been spread over twenty years.
Chasing Horse played young Sioux Smiles a Lot in the multiple Oscar-winning film which starred Kevin Costner.
He enjoyed a reputation among native tribes in the United States and Canada as a “shaman” who conducted healing ceremonies. He is said to have been the head of a cult called The Circle, whose followers believed he was capable of communicating with a higher power, according to a warrant for his arrest.
Police claim he took advantage of his position to physically and sexually assault Indigenous girls and women. He would also have had several underage wives.
According to documents obtained by The Associated Press, Chasing Horse allegedly ordered his wives to open fire on officers “if they try to break up our family.” If they failed, they had to kill themselves.
The police found firearms, about twenty kilos of cannabis and hallucinogenic mushrooms in his home. They also found an electronic key on which were several videos of sexual assaults.
Investigators have reportedly identified at least six sexual assault victims, including one who claims she was only 13 at the time of the alleged assault. Chasing Horse may have committed sexual assaults in Canada in the early 2000s and in many US states.
He is also suspected of pimping and human trafficking.
Chasing Horse had been banned for life in 2015 from the reservation in Fort Peck, Montana, over allegations of human trafficking, drug dealing, spiritual assault and intimidation.