Neoarchean arc magmatism and subsequent collisional orogenesis along the eastern Rae domain, western Churchill Province: Implications for the early growth of Laurentia

•Circa 2.6Ga plutonic rocks along the eastern Rae domain are similar to modern arc rocks.•Following arc magmatism, the Rae domain underwent crustal thickening, anatexis, and flow.•Forward petrologic modeling directly links granulite facies metamorphism to Neoarchean deformation.•In-situ monazite and zircon U-Pb geochronology constrain partial melting to ca. 2.59 to 2.55Ga.•Rocks of the eastern Rae domain are interpreted in terms of modern-style plate tectonic processes.