Alberta police looking for local victims after arrest of Dances with Wolves actor in Las Vegas
Following the arrest of an American actor on sexual assault offences, police at an Alberta First Nation say they are working with officials in Las Vegas to identify potential victims in the province.
Nathan Chasing Horse was arrested in Las Vegas on Tuesday and charged with six offences, including sexual assault of a child under 16 years old, sexual assault, sex trafficking and child abuse/neglect, according to Las Vegas police.
The 46-year-old actor appeared in the 1990 Kevin Costner movie Dances With Wolves and the HBO film Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, which was shot in Calgary.
Chasing Horse has attended powwows across Canada, the Tsuut'ina Nation Police Service confirmed at a press conference Tuesday afternoon.
'His name has come up'
The southern Alberta police service says it has been investigating Chasing Horse's potential connection to historical sexual assaults.
"His name has come up through certain contexts in Canada and certainly in Alberta," said Sgt. Nancy Farmer.
"Has he been up in this area? Yes, he has."
Farmer says the Tsuut'ina police are looking into social media posts, which led investigators to believe there are people who may have been victimized in Alberta.
That part is tricky, though, says Farmer. Police are reaching out to those they believe may have been victimized while "respecting their trauma level."
According to The Associated Press, Chasing Horse is accused of sexually assaulting young Indigenous girls and taking multiple wives during a period spanning two decades, court records show.
Chasing Horse gained a reputation among tribes across the United States and in Canada as a so-called medicine man who performed healing ceremonies and, police allege, used his position to abuse young Native American girls.
Chasing Horse remains in custody and is due to make a court appearance on Thursday.
Support is available for anyone who has been sexually assaulted. You can access crisis lines and local support services through this Government of Canada website or the Ending Violence Association of Canada database. If you're in immediate danger or fear for your safety or that of others around you, please call 911.
