The Creator, also known as the Spirit Medicine Man, blessed with healing powers in response to his love of living things, encountered a stranger known as Onondaga. The Creator challenged him in a competition to see who could move a mountain. Onondaga managed to make the mountain quake and move but only a little. The Creator declared that Onondaga had power, but not enough to move the mountain significantly. The Creator proceeded to move the mountain, telling Onondaga not to look behind him. Turning his head so fast out of curiosity, the mountain struck Onondaga in the face and left his face disfigured. The Creator made Onondaga protect his children from disease and sickness. He protected his children well and then became a great healer. Onondaga would become known as "Old Broken Nose".
The False Face rituals honor 'Old Broken Nose' and the masks represent his smashed face. They speak a language only understandable by each other, it sounds much like a horses neigh but deeper. They also wear rags, furs, or very dirty clothing. The False Face becomes a ceremonial dance where the Natives are wearing masks. The masks would scare the evil spirits out of the sick person's body. The purpose of the ceremonial dance is to make sure the members of the Native family do not become sick and/or heal the ill member(s) of the family.