In a little less than a week the Brainerd Mission is once again making news – this time as the focus of a documentary by the independent production company Caledonia TV commissioned by the BBC.

Last week the little-known Cherokee Mission, originally located on the site of Eastgate Town Center, played host to the Daughters and the Sons of the American Revolution during its annual flag raising ceremony. Mayor Ron Littlefield announced his plans to acquire land next to the cemetery to build a chapel or interpretive center there.

This week the Mission’s appeal travels across the Atlantic to Glasgow, Scotland, where the BBC has commissioned a documentary tracing the heritage of John McDonald.

“Today they were interested in John Ross’s grandfather, John McDonald, who came from Inverness, Scotland,” said Dean Arnold, author and writer of America’s Trail of Tears. “McDonald was also the first person of European descent to come to this area. He came to Chickamauga Creek in 1770 and later sold his farm to the Brainerd Mission in 1817.”

Local historian and author Arnold was interviewed by the BBC film crew Monday. “I think it’s fascinating that people in Europe are interested in our history. Maybe we think our history isn’t as old as their old world history, but it’s exciting to know there are people in Scotland interested in what happened here. It also shows the Trail of Tears has international appeal,” he said.

Leslie Wilson, creative director for Caledonia TV, said, “It’s fascinating to us because John Ross, the grandson of John McDonald, was 7/8 Scottish. But, because his grandmother was Cherokee, he was brought up Cherokee and managed to be 100 percent Cherokee and 7/8 Scottish.

“We’re very proud of what Ross did for America and the Cherokees. Under Ross’s leadership the Cherokee stayed together, got over it (the Trail of Tears), and survived as one of the most successful Native American Tribes, partly because of Ross’s determination to keep them together as a people. Andrew Jackson was also Scottish.”

Les Wilson and his film crew include journalist, novelist and playwright George Rosie, award winning videographer Jim Peters, and Irish soundman Brian Howell. The men will continue filming at The Passage Tuesday where they’ll interview Cherokee Artist Bill Glass. His studeo created the six-foot-diameter ceramic discs mounted on the walls of The Passage. The Scottish film crew will also visit John Ross’s home with Gail Ross, one of Ross’s descendants.

While here Leslie Wilson noted that Chattanooga draws a striking resemblance to his hometown of Glasgow, a post industrial city. “About 20 years ago we started on the river Clyde rebuilding the riverfront and now it is a thriving city with arts and entertainment and eateries, just like Chattanooga. It’s interesting coming here and see what you’ve done in 10 years is exactly what we’ve done. I see it as the city that’s reinvented itself, proud of its past and looking forward to the future as well.”