Robert "Tree" Cody

Who is Robert "Tree" Cody?

Robert "Tree" Cody is a Native American actor, dancer, and educator. He graduated from John Marshall High School in 1969.

Robert is one of the most notable performers of the Native American flute. He has released many albums 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.

He is the adopted son of the actor Iron Eyes Cody and the archaeologist and ethnologist Bertha Parker, later Cody, 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".

Formerly of Big Bear, California, he now resides in Kingman, AZ 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". It was shot at Montana's Crow Agency reservation on June 17, 1983. He performed with Xavier Quijas Yxayotl, a Huichol from Guadalajara for the 2000 new age album Crossroads.