ONONDAGA NATION TERRITORY (AP) — The Onondaga Nation has regained 1,000 acres (405 hectares) of its ancestral land in upstate New York, a tiny portion of the land members say was unjustly taken by the state beginning in the 18th century.
The heavily forested land is south of Syracuse and near the Onondaga's federally recognized territory. The land, which includes headwaters of Onondaga Creek, was transferred by Honeywell International on Friday under a federal Superfund settlement related to the contamination of the environment, according to the Onondaga Nation.
The land is part of an expanse of 2.5 million acres (1 million hectares) in central New York the Onondagas say was taken over decades by New York beginning in 1788 through deceitful maneuvers that violated treaties and federal law.
Sid Hill, the Tadodaho, or chief, of the Onondaga Nation, said Monday they were grateful to federal and state officials for working with them to return “the first 1,000 acres of the 2.5 million acres of treaty-guaranteed land taken from us over the centuries.”
“This is a small but important step for us, and for the Indigenous land back movement across the United States,” Hill said in a prepared statement.
Rebuffed in U.S. courts, the Onondagas are now pursuing their claim before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, which is part of the Organization of American States.
The nation's case involves a roughly 40-mile-wide (65-kilometer-wide) strip of land running down the center of upstate New York from Canada to Pennsylvania. The Onondagas hope the case spurs negotiations that could lead to the return of some land.
FILE - The Onondaga Nation Territory is seen in central New York, Aug. 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Lauren Petracca, file)
FILE - A sign informs drivers of the Onondaga Nation Territory's boundaries, Aug. 3, 2023, in central New York. (AP Photo/Lauren Petracca, file)
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Jury selection began Tuesday in the Las Vegas trial of Nathan Chasing Horse, the former “Dances with Wolves” actor accused of sexually abusing Indigenous women and girls.
Prosecutors allege he used his reputation as a spiritual leader and healer to take advantage of his victims over two decades. Chasing Horse, who was present in the courtroom Tuesday, has pleaded not guilty to 21 charges, including sexual assault, sexual assault with a minor, first degree kidnapping of a minor and the use of a minor in producing pornography.
The case sent shock waves across Indian Country when he was arrested and indicted in early 2023. After several delays, the case finally proceeded to trial after prosecutors added allegations that Chasing Horse filmed himself sexually abusing a girl younger than 14.
Best known for portraying the character Smiles A Lot in the 1990 movie “Dances with Wolves,” Chasing Horse was born on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, which is home to the Sicangu Sioux, one of the seven tribes of the Lakota nation.
After starring in the Oscar-winning film, according to prosecutors, Chasing Horse proclaimed himself to be a Lakota medicine man while traveling around North America to perform healing ceremonies.
Prosecutors say he led a cult called The Circle, and his followers believed he could speak with spirits. His victims went to him for medical help, according to a court transcript from a grand jury hearing.
One victim was 14 years old when she approached him, hoping he would heal her mother, who was diagnosed with cancer. Chasing Horse previously had treated the victim’s breathing issues and her mother’s spider bite, according to a court transcript. He allegedly told her the spirits wanted her to give up her virginity in exchange for her mother’s health. He allegedly sexually abused her and said her mother would die if she told anyone, according to the victim’s testimony to the grand jury.
The original indictment was dismissed in 2024 after the Nevada Supreme Court ruled prosecutors abused the grand jury process when they provided a definition of grooming as evidence without any expert testimony.
The high court, specifying that the dismissal had nothing to do with Chasing Horse's innocence or guilt, left open the possibility of charges being refiled. In October 2024, the charges were refiled with the new allegations that he recorded himself sexually abusing one of his accusers.
Prosecutors have said the recordings, made in 2010 or 2011, were found on cellphones in a locked safe inside the North Las Vegas home that Chasing Horse is said to have shared with five wives, including the girl in the videos.
Jury selection is expected to take multiple days. Judge Jessica Peterson asked potential jurors if they could be fair and impartial having heard the charges. Several spoke up about past experiences of sexual assault and said they'd be biased.
The trial could last four weeks, and prosecutors plan to call 18 witnesses. A week before the trial, Chasing Horse attempted to fire his private defense attorney, saying his lawyer hadn't come to visit him. Peterson removed Chasing Horse from the courtroom when he tried to interrupt her, and she denied his request.
The case is a reminder that violence also occurs within Native communities and is not just something committed by outsiders, said Crystal Lee, CEO and founder of the organization United Natives, which offers services to victims of sexual abuse.
Chasing Horse’s trial requires hard conversations about Native perpetrators, she said.
“How do we hold them accountable?” she said. “How do we start these tough conversations?”
Judge Jessica Peterson presides of the trial of Nathan Chasing Horse on charges of sexually abusing Indigenous women and girls Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ty ONeil)
Nathan Chasing Horse, right, sitting next to attorney Craig Mueller, holds a shoe as he appears for his trial on charges of sexually abusing Indigenous women and girls Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ty ONeil)
Nathan Chasing Horse appears for his trial on charges of sexually abusing Indigenous women and girls Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ty ONeil)
Nathan Chasing Horse appears before judge Jessica Peterson for his trial on charges of sexually abusing Indigenous women and girls Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ty ONeil)
Nathan Chasing Horse, right, talks to his attorney Craig Mueller during his trial on charges of sexually abusing Indigenous women and girls Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ty ONeil)
