A first-ever First Nations Provincial Spelling Bee held in North Battleford, Saskatchewan attracted 130 First Nations youth from 21 nations. 

“It was pretty awesome,” Iris Dillon, one of the coaches for the Chief Taylor School at the Onion Lake Cree Nation, told CBCNews. “[Some] words I’ve never heard of myself, and I’m a teacher.”

Family members were encouraged to help competitors prepare for the competition.

“We have a lot of parents [and] grandparents here,” organizer Pauline Favel told CBCNews. “They needed to be a part of this. That’s the beauty of this initiative too. We’re really saying we need your commitment as well.”

Winners from the three age groups won a trip to Toronto for an upcoming national spelling bee.