He kept suicide pills and told them to take them if law enforcement came
A man once celebrated for bringing an Indigenous character to life on screen now stands accused of exploiting Indigenous women and girls across two decades of alleged coercion and abuse. Nathan Chasing Horse, known to audiences as Smiles A Lot in 'Dances With Wolves,' was taken into custody in North Las Vegas following a months-long investigation into what authorities describe as a cult he led under the name 'The Circle.' The charges — spanning sex trafficking, child sexual assault, and systematic control through fear — remind us that the distance between public image and private conduct can be vast, and that the most vulnerable are often harmed in the spaces no camera reaches.
- SWAT officers raided Chasing Horse's North Las Vegas home on Tuesday, arresting the 46-year-old actor on allegations that stretch back more than twenty years.
- Authorities allege he led a cult called 'The Circle,' kept so-called suicide pills in the home, and armed women with instructions to shoot at police if he were ever arrested.
- At least six women and girls were allegedly assaulted — one victim was only 15 years old when she was offered to him as a 'gift,' according to the arrest warrant.
- Chasing Horse appeared in court Thursday in handcuffs and a jail uniform, silent and downcast, and was ordered held without bail in Clark County Jail.
- A full bail hearing is set for Monday, where victims, FBI agents, and detectives are expected to testify, deepening the legal pressure on the defendant.
On a Thursday morning in a North Las Vegas courtroom, Nathan Chasing Horse — the actor who played Smiles A Lot in the 1990 film 'Dances With Wolves' — appeared before a judge in a blue jail uniform and handcuffs, his eyes cast downward. He said nothing, acknowledged no one, and did not look toward his family in the gallery. Three days earlier, SWAT officers had raided his home and taken him into custody.
The investigation had been building for months. Prosecutors allege that Chasing Horse leads an organization called 'The Circle' and lives with five women he considers wives. Formal charges had not yet been filed at the time of the hearing, but are expected to include sex trafficking, sexual assault of a child under 16, and child abuse — with authorities alleging he assaulted at least six women and girls over the past two decades.
The arrest warrant revealed a pattern of control rooted in fear. Women in his household told police he kept 'suicide pills' in the home, instructing them to take their lives if he died or if law enforcement tried to separate the group. He also allegedly armed the women and told them to shoot at officers if police came for him. One of his wives, according to the warrant, was just 15 years old when she was offered to him as a gift.
The judge found sufficient cause to hold him without bail. His next court date is Monday, when a full bail hearing will take place and victims, FBI agents, and detectives are expected to testify — marking the next step in a case that has transformed a Hollywood footnote into a reckoning.
Nathan Chasing Horse, the actor who played Smiles A Lot in the 1990 film "Dances With Wolves," stood in a North Las Vegas courtroom Thursday morning wearing a blue jail uniform and handcuffs, his gaze fixed downward. The 46-year-old did not speak during the brief hearing, did not acknowledge the judge's greeting, and did not look toward his family members seated in the gallery. He was there because three days earlier, on Tuesday, SWAT officers had raided his North Las Vegas home and taken him into custody on charges of sexually assaulting Indigenous women and girls, and of leading what authorities describe as a cult.
The investigation that led to his arrest had unfolded over months. Prosecutors allege that Chasing Horse, whose full legal name is Nathan Lee Chasing His Horse, heads an organization called "The Circle" and lives with what they characterize as five wives. The formal charges have not yet been filed, but when they are, they are expected to include sex trafficking, sexual assault of a child under 16, and child abuse. Authorities say he has assaulted at least six different women over the past two decades.
The details that emerged from his arrest warrant paint a picture of coercion and control. Two women who were part of his household told police that Chasing Horse kept what he called "suicide pills" in the home and instructed them that if he died or if law enforcement attempted to separate the group, they should take the pills to end their lives. He also armed the women in his life, police said, and told them they should shoot at officers if authorities came to arrest him. One of his wives was only 15 years old when she was offered to him as a "gift," according to the arrest warrant.
During Thursday's court appearance, the judge determined there was sufficient evidence to hold Chasing Horse without bail in Clark County Jail. His next appearance is scheduled for Monday, when a full bail hearing will take place. At that hearing, prosecutors said, victims, FBI agents, and detectives are expected to testify. The actor, known for a supporting role in a major Hollywood film, now faces the prospect of extended pretrial detention and the weight of allegations spanning two decades of his life.
Citas Notables
He told them to take a pill to kill themselves in the event he dies or law enforcement tries to break their family apart— Police account from arrest warrant
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
What made authorities move on him now, after two decades?
The investigation took months. At some point, someone came forward—or multiple people did. That's usually how these things surface. Someone breaks the silence.
The "suicide pills" detail is striking. Was that a real threat or psychological control?
Both, probably. Real pills or not, the threat itself is the weapon. If you believe your leader will die and you're supposed to follow, you're trapped by your own fear.
How does someone maintain this kind of structure for twenty years without detection?
Isolation. Control of information. Targeting vulnerable people—in this case, Indigenous women. And a certain kind of charisma. He was an actor. He knew how to perform authority.
The 15-year-old being offered as a "gift"—does that suggest family involvement?
It suggests someone in her life made that choice for her. That's the cruelty of it. She didn't escape. She was delivered.
What happens at Monday's bail hearing?
The judge hears from people who lived it. The victims speak. The detectives lay out the evidence. Then the judge decides whether he stays locked up or goes free while awaiting trial. Given what they're alleging, he's likely staying inside.