Players from a First Nations hockey team who were taunted with racist slurs during a tournament in Quebec City last week are speaking out, saying that what happened wasn’t an isolated event.

The AAA First Nation Elites, composed of players between the ages of 13 to 15, were taking part in the Couple Challenge Quebec when spectators, opposing players and at least one opposing coach yelled abuse at them. On a video of the incident, at least one person can be heard loudly calling the players “savages.”

“It was very blatant and very overt, so it was very shocking as well,” said Rhonda Oblin Cooper, whose son Ronan plays for the team. “It was coming from different directions, coming from the players on the ice, coming from the parents.”

Ronan’s father Chris was one of the coaches for the Elites at the game and said the players were devastated.

“I could see it in their faces, their frustrations, they were really mad and I felt for them,” he said.

During an earlier game, spectators had made tomahawk motions and shouted war cries, said Chris Cooper, but nobody did anything to stop the behavior.

“Games are intense, games get emotional,” he said. “I go to tournaments, there’s swearing or a bit of name calling, but to the extent of racial slurs on the kids, I find that unbelievable.”

Quebec Native Affairs Minister Geoff Kelley denounced the incident, while an official for the opposing team said a disciplinary committee would look into the incident and promised it would be addressed.

Indigenous community organizer Nakuset said the province has done little real work towards reconciliation with First Nations people.

“I’m not surprised, this is something that happens across the board, it doesn’t just happen in small communities,” she said. “It happens in Chateauguay, it happens everywhere.”

While the tournament was not under the jurisdiction of Hockey Quebec, the organization expressed support for the Elites.

“We would have investigated and sanctioned any team involved,” the said in a statement. “These kids deserve to play the game they love in a positive environment, without any kind of harassment, no matter the nature.”

Ronan’s parents said they hope the incident won’t affect his passion for hockey.

“Racism can be taught, that’s something we can’t tolerate, we can’t accept,” said Chris.

“I don’t think that it’s every Quebecois, I don’t take it that way either,” said Rhonda. “I just think there’s a few people, and a few people in all arenas, that cross that line. I think that’s where we need to step in and see what it is we can do to create safe environments and make our arenas safe places for our children to play.”