Former actor Nathan Lee Chasing His Horse, right, also known as Nathan Chasing Horse, appears in North Las Vegas Justice Court Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023, in North Las Vegas, Nev. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye /Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP)

By paNOW Staff

FSIN

FSIN bans two men from future events following sex crime allegations

Feb 2, 2023 | 5:29 PM

The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) has banned two men from future events following multiple sex crime allegations.

In a release, the FSIN said it takes allegations of sexual assault and human trafficking seriously and stands in support of all abuse victims.

“Our hearts go out to the victims of these horrendous crimes,” said FSIN Third Vice Chief Aly Bear. “Sex crimes that damage the body, mind and spirit of our First Nations people are something we strongly condemn. It is especially disturbing when people of power and influence prey on our women and girls, whom we as First Nations people hold in a place of utmost respect.”

FSIN Executive leadership has now imposed a ban on Nathan Lee Chasing Horse and Cecil Wolfe, barring them from all FSIN community events, spiritual practices, pow wows and ceremonies for the duration of their lifetime due to alleged sex crimes.

Chasing Horse, 46, faces charges of sex trafficking, sexual assault against a child younger than 16, and child abuse. He has been in custody since his arrest Tuesday afternoon near the North Las Vegas home that he shares with his five wives.

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According to a 50-page search warrant obtained by the Associated Press, Chasing Horse is believed to be the leader of a cult known as The Circle.

At least two women told police that Chasing Horse had shown his wives a stash of “small white pills” that he called “suicide pills” sometime in 2019 or 2020, years before his arrest.

He appeared briefly in court Thursday for the first time since he was taken into custody but did not speak before North Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Belinda Harris scheduled a bail hearing for Monday. Chasing Horse has not been formally charged.

Wolfe faces 12 counts of sexual assault in Saskatchewan Provincial Court. The court has heard how Wolfe misrepresented himself as a Cree medicine man to gain access to victims in Saskatchewan.

The women were instructed to “take a pill to kill themselves in the event he dies or law enforcement tries to break their family apart,” according to the warrant.

One of Chasing Horse’s former wives also told police that she believed his current wives would “carry out the instructions” to take the pills and open fire on law enforcement if officers came to the home to arrest Chasing Horse.

Las Vegas police said in the document they have identified at least six sexual assault victims, some who were as young as 14 when they say they were abused, and traced the sexual allegations against Chasing Horse to the early 2000s in multiple states, including Nevada, where he has lived for about a decade, and South Dakota and Montana.

“Nathan Chasing Horse used spiritual traditions and their belief system as a tool to sexually assault young girls on numerous occasions,” detectives wrote in the warrant, adding that his followers referred to him as “Medicine Man” or “Holy Person” because they believed he could communicate with higher beings.

Last month, Defence lawyer Harvey Neufeld informed the court that Wolfe, his client, wanted to make an application to change his plea.

Sentencing was already underway for Wolfe in late 2022 when he dismissed his former lawyer, Loretta Pete-Lambert, and asked Neufeld to represent him instead.

“Women and girls are cherished as the life-givers in First Nations culture and the backbone of our society,” said FSIN Fourth Vice Chief Heather Bear. “We are disheartened that sexual assaults and human trafficking are occurring today in our communities. We must all take a stand to speak out against abuse and support the victims.”

First Nations, Inuit and Metis seeking immediate support can contact the Hope for Wellness Helpline at 1-855-242-3310 or online chat at hopeforwellness.ca

The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation provides 24-hour-a-day crisis support to victims and their families at 1-866-925-4419 and 1-800-721-0066.

People impacted by the issue of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls LGBTQ2S+ can call 1-844-413-6649.

–With files from The Canadian Press, The Associated Press and 650 CKOM.

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panews@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter: @princealbertnow