| Robert "Tree" Cody | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Robert Cody |
| Born | Los Angeles, California |
| Instruments | Native American flute |
Robert "Tree" Cody (born in Los Angeles, California) is a Native American actor, dancer, and educator.[1] He is one of the most notable performers of the Native American flute. He has released many albums[2] with Canyon Records and has toured throughout the Americas, Europe, and East Asia. He performed the traditional carved wooden flute on several tracks of The Rippingtons' 1999 album Topaz.[3]
Robert "Tree" Cody is the adopted son of the actor Iron Eyes Cody and his wife Bertha, who adopted Robert and his brother when they were very young. The brothers are of Dakota and Maricopa heritage. Robert is an enrolled member of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. His traditional name is Oou Kas Mah Qwet, meaning "Thunder Bear".
He resides on the Navajo Nation reservation with his wife Cynthia. His nickname, "Tree", comes from his height: he is 6 feet 10 inches tall.
Cody was featured playing his flute in the tenth episode of the PBS series Reading Rainbow, entitled "The Gift of the Sacred Dog" (based on the book by Paul Goble). It was shot at Montana's Crow Agency reservation on June 17, 1983.