How did Apachean extended families organize their households?

The basic socioeconomic unit for Apachean peoples was the matrilocal extended family. This group typically consisted of one or more related women, their husbands, their unmarried sons, and their daughters along with their daughters' spouses and children.1

Within this extended family structure, each nuclear family—or each wife and her children, in cases where multiple women shared a husband—occupied a separate dwelling. These dwellings varied by group:1
* Navajo: The preferred home was the hogan, a circular lodge constructed of logs or stone and covered with an earth roof.1
* Apache: These groups utilized the wickiup and the tepee.1
* Shared: Both groups utilized the ramada, a freestanding rectangular arbor, to provide shade.1

While women were generally responsible for building the home, the Navajo were an exception, as they viewed home construction as men's work. These households were typically part of larger, dispersed groups, such as bands or outfits, which were organized under the direction of a leader chosen for his wisdom and success.1