The chairman of the Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission resigned on Monday, citing "incurable" differences with fellow commissioners.

Harry LaForme, an appeal court judge, said the other commissioners don't accept his authority or the direction he wants to take the commission. Attempts to mediate a solution failed.

Phil Fontaine, the chief of the Assembly of First Nations, said he was disappointed with the resignation. "We need a functioning truth commission so that survivors can tell their stories," he told CBC News.

Michael Cachagee of the National Residential School Survivors' Society said the commission needs to work quickly to ensure students can share their experiences. "How many survivors are we going to lose through death?" he said.

Get the Story:
Chairman quits troubled residential-school commission (CBC 10/20)
Head of residential school commission steps down (The Vancouver Sun 10/21)
Resignation paralyzes residential schools panel (The Globe and Mail 10/21)

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Non-Native leads 'truth' commission in Canada (10/09)