Ther are a couple of methods, one is to drop children near the Aggressive Heathens and have them chase the kids long enough for someone go grab the wood.
Another method is
to build the first level of the statue (the egg shaped rock structure). Once you have a level 1 statue of the hand, the Agreessive Heathens leave the wood pile.
Also have you built a grainery yet? Once you do, the heathens generally leave the Noni bush alone and you can harvest it.
I had to ask for help with this - you use the bamboo fence in the center area by the fire just drop a villager on it.