In a corner of Wright Square in Savannah stands a large granite boulder with a copper plaque commemorating Tomochichi, leader of the Yamacraw Indians and a key figure in the founding of Georgia. Scholars and tourists often overlook this monument and this man, but they should not. Tomochichi welcomed James Oglethorpe and his first band of settlers upon their arrival and gave them permission to establish Savannah. Throughout those inaugural years Tomochichi facilitated negotiations between neighboring Lower Creek chieftains and British newcomers and worked to maintain peace in a highly contested location. He even traveled to London to meet with prominent English diplomats so that he could acquire the best trade terms for his people. His friendship with Oglethorpe and his interest in the Georgia outpost made him an influential and invaluable ally. Despite his important role in Georgia history, time and misinterpretation have obscured many aspects of his life. This essay first reexamines the literature about Tomochichi to demonstrate how scholars in all centuries have misconstrued his activities and then reconstructs the latter part of his biography in light of new research and scholarship about the political situation in the Southeast and improved ethnohistorical methods of analysis. (Contains 3 figures and 85 notes.)