He rose to power as a young man and was sub-chief under his cousin Chief Walkara when the Mormon pioneers first arrived in Timpanogos territory in 1847.
He was one of the principal clan leaders over a band in southern Utah Valley, along with Chief Peteetneet and Grospene.
Turunianchi's grandsons made up the royal line of "brothers" (even though they were cousins) referred to by Brigham Young.
[1] In February 1850, Brigham Young reversed his earlier policy of friendship towards indigenous groups and issued an extermination order against male Timpanogos in all of Utah Valley[5][6] When the Mormon militia attacked the Timpanogos along the Provo River, the main party fled to southern Utah Valley, where Chief Tabby-To-Kwanah's band was situated.
As a sign of protest, he led the Timpanogos into Thistle Valley in Sanpete County to hunt and dance in the spring of 1872.