Easterner brings up help in the tavern (6)
I believe the answer is:
indian
'easterner' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both people as well as being singular nouns.
Maybe there's an association between them I don't understand?
'up help in the tavern' is the wordplay.
'up' is a reversal indicator (in down clue: letters go upwards).
'help' becomes 'aid' (synonyms).
'in the' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'tavern' becomes 'inn' (I've seen this before).
'aid' back-to-front is 'dia'.
'dia' put inside 'inn' is 'INDIAN'.
'brings' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for indian that I've seen before include "Native American or denizen of New Delhi, say" , "Sub-continental native" , "Eg, native of Mumbai" , "IDA inn provided for this nationality" , "Type of club, file, tea or summer" .)