A couple of First Nations leaders are objecting to Premier Gordon Campbell's latest choice for minister of aboriginal relations and reconciliation.

In an August 15 cabinet shuffle, Campbell announced that Mike de Jong would move from labour and citizens' services to the aboriginal portfolio.

Justa Monk is the executive chair, eastern region, of the Northwest Tribal Treaty Nations, which represents dozens of northern B.C. First Nations, from Haida Gwaii to Prince George. “I know the guy; I never did get along with him and I don't think he's going to be...beneficial to the aboriginal people of B.C. because he has been a redneck even about the forestry issues,” Monk told the Georgia Straight. “So I really don't have much nice things to say about him.”

Monk interacted with de Jong when the Abbotsford–Mount Lehman MLA was forests minister. “The offensive part was that he went and divided people by these forestry issues,” Monk said. “When I was speaking as the cochair for Northwest Tribal Treaty Nations, he told me in my face that I don't speak for the nations, and 'I've got letters to prove it,'?” Monk said.

He asked de Jong to show him the letters, “but he didn't want to show it to me,” Monk said.

“I'll be honest with you,” Monk said. “I don't hate the guy, but I don't want nothing to do with him.”

Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation Ministry spokesperson Stacey McGaghey told the Straight that de Jong was not available for comment. “He's away until the beginning of September,” McGaghey said.

Council of the Haida Nation president Guujaaw said de Jong's appointment sends a message to aboriginal people.

“As far as a signal, I would say it's really kind of an insult to send him there,” Guujaaw told the Straight. “If we have somebody assigned as minister who's got a history, and a poor working relationship with the people””he's already made his bed, as far as dealing with First Nations,” Guujaaw said about de Jong.

Guujaaw added that he did not expect Campbell to consult him before choosing an aboriginal-affairs minister. “But you would think they would be trying to design that part of the cabinet to work, particularly in light of all the beautiful speeches and stuff,” Guujaaw said. “If there's going to be a new relationship, you think you'd put a shiny new face that people would be happy to see.”

Guujaaw said negotiations with the province are proceeding too slowly.

“It should be a lot further along, and there's still the usual trickery going on,” he said. “The real question is, are they trying to put together a team that will work over there? Or are they just trying to put together a team to prevent things from occurring?”

Dogwood Initiative executive director Will Horter told the Straight that de Jong's new appointment is “really bad news for First Nations”. The Dogwood Initiative works with First Nations, environmental groups, and others for sustainable land-use reform. Horter claimed that at a meeting with First Nations in Prince George in the fall of 2004, de Jong cut the elders out of the debate.

“He was just interrupting the elders,” Horter said. “It's not the way things are done.” Horter added that de Jong told the meeting: “I don't want any of this ceremonial stuff.”

“The signal of bringing in de Jong now is a step backwards for the goodwill that's been created at the [negotiating] table so far,” he added. “The big loser is ultimately going to be, in the short term, the First Nations; in the long term, it's going to be the government.”

Former NDP minister of aboriginal affairs Dale Lovick told the Straight that the Liberals' 2002 referendum on treaty principles “poisoned the well in the beginning”.

“That referendum was pretty crass, politically,” Lovick said.

In 1998, de Jong, then–Opposition leader Gordon Campbell, and then–attorney general critic Geoff Plant launched an unsuccessful constitutional challenge against the Nisga'a treaty. Lovick said that was also harmful, adding that nobody in the present cabinet can escape its consequences.

“They're all tainted by the Nisga'a case and by the referendum,” Lovick said. “In terms of Mike, particularly, Mike is not dumb, and he has that advantage over some of his colleagues.”