About Us

Steve Bonspiel is an award-winning journalist from the Mohawk community of Kanesatake. Gifted with natural storytelling abilities, he began his journalism career with the Nation Magazine in 2003 and was quickly promoted to assistant editor that same year. Serving the Cree Nation of Northern Quebec for 5 years, he won 21 awards for his balanced and impassioned reporting. In 2007, he was a double nominee in the community newspaper category at the prestigious Canadian Association of Journalists Awards. In 2008, he received the Lindsay Crysler Award for excellence from the Quebec Community Newspaper Association. He has also contributed to the Montreal Gazette, the Calgary Herald, Windspeaker, Nunatsiaq News and Redwire Magazine.

Tracey Deer is an award-winning documentary filmmaker born and raised in Kahnawake. She graduated with a BA from Dartmouth College in New Hampshire in 2000 after which she began her career in the entertainment industry. By 2008, She had directed and written four feature-length documentary films that all delve into the complicated landscape of modern aboriginal life. She has collaborated with the National Film Board of Canada, Rezolution Pictures, Mushkeg Media and Global Television’s nightly news program in Montreal. Her films have garnered critical and public acclaim, are utilized in university curriculum across the country and have been broadcast nationally on CBC and APTN.

Kenneth Deer started The Eastern Door in 1992 because he realized that Kahnawake was not being represented fairly in mainstream media. Beginning completely from scratch and without prior experience, he published, edited and wrote for the weekly publication that quickly became a source for solid and un-biased reporting. A model for integrity and respect, his dedication was a proven method for success: The Eastern Door has been the trusted source for news in Kahnawake for 16 years under his leadership. He currently devotes his time to representing the interests of the Mohawk Nation at the international level.

Ni:ne McComber Bush has over 20 years experience in the advertising business through various media. She has been with The Eastern Door newspaper since it was first introduced to Kahnawake in 1992, as an Advertising Consultant. Ni:ne serves many businesses in Chateauguay, Mercier, St. Isidore, and the St. Remi area. She enjoys meeting new people and prides herself on representing her customers. In 1994, Ni:ne was nominated as candidate for "Personality of the Year Award" through SODER in 1996 for her project that united the people of Kahnawake and Chateauguay after the Oka Crisis of 1990.

Tara Wall is an advertising consultant. She studied marketing and accounting at O'Sullivan College. Before joining The Eastern Door, Tara worked in banking, accounting and running her own business. Now, she enjoys having a career that allows her to meet new people everyday and always being on the road selling allows for everyday to be different and exciting. She enjoys being able to express her creativity when consulting with clients to help create their advertising campaign. In 2009, she celebrated her sixth anniversary with The Eastern Door and looks forward to many more.

Sasha Deer graduated from Nova Career Center getting her DEP in the Administrative Assistant Program and began working for The Eastern Door one week after graduating from school. Trained in the latest software and business practices, Sasha Deer received her Diplome D'etudes Professionnel in Office Technologies from the Nova Career Centre. She has now been working at The Eastern Door as an Administrative Assistant since 2008.

Jordan Standup is an award-winning reporter from the Mohawk territory of Kahnawake. He joined The Eastern Door’s team in October 2004 at the age of 18, just one year after graduating from the Kahnawake Survival School. He took on the job with no background in journalism or experience in the field. As a young reporter, he applied a tireless work ethic in order to learn all aspects of the job. His hard work and dedication paid off in 2008, when he received first place for Best Arts and Entertainment Story at the Quebec Community Newspaper Association Awards. Since beginning his career, he’s written nearly 1,500 articles for this publication and has also contributed work to Indian Country Today and Le Soleil. He is looking forward to a lengthy career in the field.

Richard Tardif, a former editor of the magazine and web-based Montreal Hype is now assistant editor at The Eastern Door. Richard has an eye for news, a passion for sports, and a knack for understanding people. His career began in 1994 after months on the beat for The Concordian covering the student uprising over the Quebec government’s plan of increasing university tuition fees. From there he began a thriving freelance career writing news and sports for magazines and several dailies including The Hamilton Spectator, The Toronto Star and the Montreal Gazette.
Richard comes to The Eastern Door via Concordia University where he studied Journalism, Psychology and earned an honours degree with distinction in human-environmental relations.

Allison Jacobs Allison Jacobs was employed with Caisse Populaire Kahnawake as Executive Secretary.  While working full-time, she began attending night classes at McGill University in the Public Relations Management Program.  She received her certificate in 2004, launching a new career path in PR and Communications.  She was hired as the first Communications Officer for the Kahnawake Economic Development Commission - Tewatohnhi’saktha. In the spring of 2009, she joined The Eastern Door as Project Coordinator for special projects.

Dana Marquis started her career at The Eastern Door in 2003 as Administrative Assistant. During that time she learned graphics and began Ad Design for special supplements at The Eastern Door. When she returned from maternity leave, Dana left the front desk to continue Graphics part-time. Dana continues to create ads and specials at The Eastern Door. In 2008 she received an Honourable Mention at the QCNA Awards for a centerspread she created of the Indian Village.

Kim Delormier is an artist - graphic designer and illustrator by trade, carves and landscapes in her spare time, and generally leads a creative lifestyle. Kim has worked for The Eastern Door in the past as graphic designer, office manager, receptionist, writer, and even dabbled in sales. As a community minded person who feels education is the key to a better and healthier community, Kim has served on Kahnawake's Combined Schools Committtee and headed a grass-roots movement to establish a public library in Kahnawake. She continues to volunteer for the library, as well as a community group dedicated to planting trees and improving the local environment.

Connie McArdle is a pioneer member of The Eastern Door team since its inception in 1992 as Production Assistant. She also occasional contributes as a writer and has had several articles published in The Eastern Door and in a special supplement called The Senior Times. She is a veteran Powwow Dancer, a member of The Musical Entertainers of The Turtle Island Theatre and an active member of Kahnawake Cancer Support Group. She is tireless, always working hard at the office and volunteering for various fundraising ventures within the community.