**Former "Dances with Wolves" Actor Indicted Again on Sexual Abuse Charges**

A grand jury in Nevada has reissued an indictment against Nathan Chasing Horse, accusing the 48-year-old former "Dances with Wolves" actor of sexually abusing Indigenous women and underage girls for decades. The 21-count indictment, which was unsealed in Clark County District Court, not only reiterates Chasing Horse's previous felony charges of sexual assault, lewdness, and kidnapping, but also adds charges related to the production and possession of child sexual abuse materials.

This new indictment comes in the wake of a Nevada Supreme Court ruling in September that dismissed Chasing Horse's original 18-count indictment. The court had criticized prosecutors for abusing the grand jury process, yet left the door open for the charges to be refiled. Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson had promptly vowed to seek a new indictment following the decision. As of Thursday, neither Wolfson nor Chasing Horse's attorney, Kristy Holston, have commented on the latest developments.

Chasing Horse, who gained fame for his role as Smiles A Lot in the 1990 film "Dances with Wolves," was born on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, home to the Sicangu Sioux tribe. He allegedly exploited his position to form a cult, gain the trust of vulnerable Indigenous women and girls, and take underage wives. Chasing Horse has pleaded not guilty, claiming that the sexual encounters were consensual. Authorities, however, state that one of the victims was below the age of consent in Nevada, which is 16.

Chasing Horse has been held in Las Vegas since his arrest in January, which created shockwaves across Indigenous communities and facilitated further law enforcement investigations in the U.S. and Canada. His arrest also led to additional charges, including on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in Montana. This reservation had already banished Chasing Horse in 2015 amid allegations of human trafficking.

The Nevada Supreme Court did not comment on Chasing Horse's guilt or innocence but pointed out the misuse of grand jury procedures by prosecutors, specifically, providing a definition of grooming without expert testimony and withholding inconsistent statements made by one accuser. Chasing Horse's legal battles coincide with increased efforts by U.S. lawmakers and prosecutors to address cases involving Native women, including human trafficking and murder.